Diamond Skies
by Sketchachu
Summary: After moving to the Alola region, Alani Mahina finally gets the opportunity to become a Trainer. While Alola may seem like a peaceful and perfect place, there are dark shadows working in the background. The adventure of a lifetime awaits! (The plot of Sun/Moon with minor alterations)
1. Prologue

_One week ago_

"Alright, Alani, today's the day! We're moving to Alola!"

I heard my mom calling me from downstairs. Rolling onto my side, I let out a heavy sigh. Sure, it was cool that we were going to live in the Alola region, but it was hard for me to leave Pallet Town. I lived here my whole life, after all. There were so many fond memories I'd be leaving behind. Even though I had known for three months that we'd be moving, i was still hard to wrap my head around the concept.

As I continued to lay in bed, our family Meowth, Mewy, wandered into my room. He hopped onto my bed and held something in front of me. It was an Awakening.

"Heh, thanks, Mewy," I mumbled as I took the item and forced myself out of bed. With groggy movements, I managed to put on the clothes I had laying at the foot of my bed. They were fairly casual, since we would be traveling to Alola by ship, and, including the time it would take to get to the port at Vermilion City, it would take at least a week to get there.

I started down the stairs, brush my long, brown hair while also trying to avoid tripping on Mewy. Once I got to the kitchen, I saw that my mom had already made us breakfast.

"Oh, there you are!" my mom said. "I thought for a moment there that you were still asleep."

"Nah," I replied, holding up the Awakening. "Mewy helped me out."

Mom smiled at Mewy. "Oh, thank you, Mewy! You kept me from having to drag Alani out of bed."

"Mrow!" Mewy exclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest.

We laughed. Mewy had a talent for making any situation lighter. He was a natural jokester.

After we had a light breakfast, we all piled into the car. Most of our belongings were being sent to our new house by plane, so it was fairly empty in the car. We hit the road with the moon shining down on us, towards a new home, new friends, and, for me, the adventure of a lifetime.

* * *

 **(Obligatory disclaimer that I don't own the Pokemon franchise. I did, however, come up with most of the Pokemon nicknames you will see in the story.) (Also, rated T for a few swear words here and there, Bad Parents** ™ **, messed-up happenings in waaay later chapters, and probably other things I'm forgetting at the moment.)**

 **Hey, hey, hey, everyone! Sketchachu here, and my creative gears are going strong thanks to Sun and Moon! Wowie, those games had the best story out of all the main-series games! I had avoided spoilers starting when they first revealed the starters, so I had no clue what to expect, and I was just blown the heck away! Anyways, I decided to try and make a lil story based on how I imagined my journey through Moon went. There's obviously gonna be changes here and there, but other than that, it'll follow the story of the games.** **Since this intro's pretty short, I'll be posting the first chapter later today.**

 **Happy New Year!**


	2. The Journey Begins!

**Here I am again! Be prepared for bad chapter lengths, me trying to figure out how to dialogue, and stupid Pokemon nicknames. Lots and lots of stupid nicknames.**

* * *

 _Present Day_

After a week of traveling, we were finally in Alola. The salty tang of the sea was even stronger here than it was in Vermilion City. Once we cleared customs, we went to the town hall of Hau'oli City so that my mom could take care of a few legal things. I wasn't entirely sure what she had to do, but it probably had something to do with us moving from Kanto to Alola. Once that was taken care of, we set out for our new house. It was not in the busy heart of the city, but more in the outskirts. Shortly after we arrived, I went to my new room and fell asleep. Jet lag between the two regions was killer.

I woke up a few hours later, feeling somewhat refreshed. I put on a fresh pair of clothes and stepped into the living room. My mom and Mewy had apparently unpacked some of the boxes that were scattered across the house, so it looked slightly more like a home rather than an empty shell. I went out and joined them on the porch in the moonlight.

"Oh, you're awake," my mom said when she saw me. "Isn't Alola just fantastic? The people are so nice, and the air is fantastic, too! I'm sure the Pokemon here reflect all of this."

I thought the atmosphere was a bit too humid, but I knew better than to say that. "Yeah, I guess the weather's nice. I'm more excited to meet new Pokemon!"

Before she got a chance to reply, someone started knocking at the door. I was confused. Who would be knocking at our door this late at night? We were new here; nobody should know us yet.

We walked back in and saw that the person had let himself in. He was a tall man with tan skin, wearing sweatpants with a lab coat. His hat had Alola's symbol on it, and he was also wearing sporty sunglasses.

The man noticed us, and a huge grin split his face. "Cousin! There you are! Glad to see you made it here in one piece, yeah! Hope the jet lag isn't too bad."

"Kukui! Great to see you again!" my mom said as she hugged the man known as Kukui. "It's been such a long time! I think the last time I saw you was when you took on the Kanto League."

Kukui laughed. "Ah, I remember that! I thought I knew a thing or two about battling, yeah, but those Kanto gym leaders sure did prove me wrong!"

My mom turned to face me. "Alani, this is Kukui, a dear friend of mine. He's the Pokemon Professor here in Alola."

"It's nice to meet you, Professor Kukui," I said.

"Nice to finally meet you, Alani! And, you can just call me Kukui," Kukui said as he extended his hand, which I shook.

"So, Kukui," my mom began, "what brings you here? I thought you weren't going to stop by until tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah, guess I should explain myself, huh?" Kukui said as he rubbed the back of his head. "You see, there's a festival going on in Iki Town, and kids can get their first Pokemon there. Most of 'em are closer to 11, but there are a few older ones, like Alani here." He turned to look at me. "Whaddya say, Alani? Wanna go?"

Unusual excitement bubbled up within me. Ever since I had turned ten, I desperately wanted to go on a journey with Pokemon. I watched the battles of every challenger that dared to face the Indigo Plateau on tv, and each one made me want to be the next person to try and become the Champion. Professor Oak was more than willing to give me a Pokemon, and even encouraged me to go on a journey, but my mom had refused, saying that I was too young to go off on my own. So, instead of setting off and exploring Kanto with my friends, I had to sit and watch as most of them walked off with their new partners, while I remained in school. Now, however, I was 16, and nearly 17, at that. I couldn't wait any longer for my opportunity.

"Yes!"

* * *

Thankfully, it didn't take too much for Kukui to convince my mom to let me go, and we soon set off on the path near my house. It was a rather steep hill, teeming with nature all around it. Pokemon I had never seen before would often run and fly around us as we went. Kukui explained to me some of the basics of being a trainer, but I already knew most of it. Back in Kanto, I had always read books on how to be a good trainer so that once the day finally came, I could hit the ground running.

As we approached Iki Town, I could hear music playing and people singing and laughing. The whole town was teeming with life. Kids too young to become trainers were playing tag with other kids as well as Pokemon, and older people were dancing around a stage in the center of town.

"Hmm. That's odd," Kukui thought out loud. "Hala's not here, but everyone's still celebrating, yeah." Kukui tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, Alani, let's split up and look for Hala. Go check Mahalo Trail. Let's meet up at the stage in about ten minutes, yeah?"

"But Kukui, I don't know wh-" I protested, but Kukui was already out of sight. Steeling my nerves, I started weaving my way through the crowd, looking for something that pointed to Mahalo Trail. I eventually found myself out of the crowd and on a path surrounded by trees going up a hill. It had a mysterious atmosphere to it, and it pulled me farther along the path. I came to a clearing, and in front of me was a girl of about 15 in a white dress, seemingly in distress.

I approached her cautiously. "Hey...is something wrong?" I asked.

The girl whipped around and looked at me with terrified emerald eyes. "Ah...Those Spearow...they're going to hurt Nebby! But, I'm too scared to go out there...my legs feel like they might give out...Please! Help!"

I looked behind her and saw that a small flock of Spearow was harassing something in the middle of the bridge. I took a deep breath. I wasn't the biggest fan of heights, but that Pokemon was in danger, and I couldn't just stand aside and do nothing. Taking cautious steps, I started to make my way across the rickety bridge. Once I was within range, I leapt at Nebby and covered it, trying to fend off the Spearow.

 _What in the world was I thinking?_ I thought as they pecked at me. _I don't have any Pokemon! This is bad._

Suddenly, a blue light started to emit from Nebby. I looked down to see what was happening, and a huge burst of energy came from it. It drove away the Spearow, but it also blasted the bridge to pieces. Without anything supporting us, Nebby and I began to fall.

Time seemed to slow down. I couldn't grab on to anything that was still firmly attached to the bridge, and the cliffs were too far away to reach. I hugged Nebby, awaiting our inevitable demise at the bottom of the ravine.

But it never came.

Before I knew what was going on, a streak of yellow came shooting at us, saving us from the fall. We were gently placed back at the top of the cliff next to the girl in the white dress. Electricity crackled behind us, and the girl and I turned to see what looked like a Pokemon with a black body and large yellow arms looking at us. It shot off once again, leaving a glimmering stone in its place.

"Was...was that Tapu Koko?" the girl wondered aloud. "It must have been...The tapu must have noticed you and Nebby were falling and decided to save you." She bent down and grabbed the stone, then turned to face me. "Thank you...thank you so much for rescuing Nebby!"

I gave her a shy smile. "It was what anyone would have done. I'm glad to be of help."

Nebby jumped from my arms and began to circle around the girl. She frowned a bit as she watched. "You tried to use your powers again, didn't you, Nebby? You remember what happened the last time you did that! You couldn't move for ages after that!" She shook her head. "No...I shouldn't say that. I'm sorry, Nebby. I know you were trying to save me that time." She smiled at it, then started to speak again, holding the stone out to me. "I think the tapu meant to give this to you."

I wasn't entirely sure about it. After all, if that 'Tapu Koko' was such an important figure, why would it bother to give something that looked so special to a foreigner like me? I was practically a nobody, even back in Kanto! I tried to refuse, but the girl wouldn't take no for an answer. I put the stone in my bag, and after the girl put Nebby in her bag, we started to head back to town.

Once we arrived, we saw Kukui sitting on the edge of the stage. There was an old man next to him, and they were engaging in lively conversation. Once Kukui noticed us walking up to him, he stood up and waved.

"Hey, Alani!" Kukui said. "Turns out the Kahuna had to solve a problem up in Hau'oli, which is why he wasn't here when we arrived, yeah. But it looks like you managed to find my assistant! In case you two haven't properly introduced yourselves yet, Alani, this is Lillie, and Lillie, this is Alani!" He gestured to each of us as he said our names.

"Ah, so you're the Alani I've heard about from Kukui." The old man walked up to us and joined our conversation. "I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Welcome to Alola! I've heard you're interested in getting a Pokemon?"

My attention switched instantly from Lillie and Kukui to Hala. "Yes, please!" I said, "I really want to be a Trainer!"

Hala gave a hearty laugh. "Alright, alright. I have three left, so you can have one of them."

With that, he pulled out three Pokeballs and sent out the Pokemon in them. From the one on the left came a beige owl with a leaf bow. The center one was a black and red cat, while the one on the right was a blue seal with a pink nose.

"First is the Grass-type Pokemon, Rowlet!" Hala explained. "Next is the Fire-type Pokemon, Litten! And last is the Water-type Pokemon, Popplio! Which one will you choose as your partner?"

I held my chin in thought. They were all so cute! I wished I could have all of them. Rowlet and Popplio looked up at me with endearing eyes, while Litten played it cool and simply began licking its paw. After a moment of careful thought, I spoke up.

"I...I choose...Rowlet."

"Great choice!" Hala boomed. "Now what is left is to see if Rowlet chooses you. Only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call each other partners."

Following Hala's instructions, I stood on the stage opposite Rowlet. In that moment, it was if there were no sound, no ground, no other people, just me and Rowlet. We gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever, until Rowlet's eyes seemed to smile, and he let out a gentle koo. He ran over to me, and I carefully picked him up.

"So little Rowlet has accepted you, too. Congratulations, Alani!" Hala said, snapping me back to reality. "Rowlet is yours!" He handed me Rowlet's Pokeball, which I happily accepted.

Kukui gave me a firm pat on the back. "You know, some trainers like to give their Pokemon nicknames. Brings them closer together, oh yeah. Are you going to give your Rowlet a nickname?"

"I think so," I said, still looking at Rowlet in my arms. "How about...Pueo?" I was greeted by enthusiastic chirping from Rowlet, now known as Pueo.

"Nice to meet you, Pueo!" Lillie said.

Hala seemed to remember something as Lillie spoke, because his eyebrows went up for a moment. "Ah, before I forget, did something happen while I was gone? For some reason, I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying around."

Lillie nodded. "Oh, um...Yes, Kahuna Hala...Nebby was being attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge when this girl, Alani, helped it get away. But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine, and that's when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!"

"Woo!" Kukui whistled. "That's not something you hear every day!"

Hala laughed. "Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you."

"Pew!" A little cry was heard at Lillie's feet.

"Oh?" Lillie said in surprise, "When did you get out again? I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight. It's safer that way." She shook her head, then looked at me. "I think you chose a wonderful Pokemon. Please take care of it."

Kukui clapped his hands. "That's it, Alani! Now that you've got a Pokemon, you're a real Pokemon Trainer, yeah! And here's a lovely gift from me to help make it special, cousin." With that, he pulled out a red object from his lab coat and handed it to me.

Pueo and I looked at it in wonder. "What is it?" I asked.

"It's a Pokedex!" Kukui explained. "It's a real high-tech kinda tool, yeah, that can automatically record facts about any Pokemon you meet. Try it out on Pueo later! And this," he continued, pulling out a small booklet, "is a Trainer Passport that I had put together for you."

"Thank you...thank you so much, all of you!" I said. I was so happy I could cry. I finally had a Pokemon of my own. I had a Pokedex. I was an official Pokemon Trainer. All of my dreams were coming true.

"How about you go show off your new friend to your mom, Alani?" Kukui suggested.

I nodded, and set off for home. Before I could get far, a kid who looked to be about 15 ran up to me. He was tan with greenish-black hair and was wearing a black shirt and yellow shorts.

"Hey!" the kid shouted. "You and me! Let's have a Pokemon battle!"

Hala walked up to us. "Dahahaha! Where's the fire, boy?" he laughed, "And what kind of a Pokemon battle would that be where you don't even give a name first, eh?"

The kid put his hands behind his head. "Fair enough. Then I'm Hau. And my partner's Tarin, a Popplio!" Hau looked at Pueo, who was perched on my shoulder. "Your Rowlet looks really cool, too! Anyways, I couldn't wait for you to find your way to Iki Town, so I've been all over looking for you so we can battle!"

"Really?" I asked. I never had someone search for me, especially not a stranger.

"Of course!" Hau replied. "It's not often that someone new moves here, and it's always exciting to have a battle with them!"

"Oh yeah, your first battle already!" Kukui grinned. "Just have your Pokemon dish out some moves and see who wins. Woo!"

I bit my lip. Was I really ready for this? Watching others and reading books could only teach so much. What if I failed and my Pokemon got seriously hurt? I looked at Pueo. His eyes were glimmering, anxious to spread his wings in what would probably be his first battle.

"Alright," I said, a smile beginning to form on my face. "I'll do it." A chorus of cheering erupted from Kukui and Hau.

"I appreciate you deciding to battle my grandson," Hala said. "I expect both sides to not hold anything back! Let the battle begin!"

Hau sent Tarin out onto the battlefield, while I sent out Pueo. I was extremely nervous, and I'm sure Pueo was a little bit, too. After all, neither of us had been in a battle before, and we didn't really know what to expect. I decided to pull out my Pokedex to see if it could help me figure out what to do. As I turned it on, it registered Popplio as well as Rowlet. It also showed me what moves Pueo knew.

"Alright, Tarin, use Water Gun!" Hau shouted. His Pokemon prepared the move, and water started shooting out towards Pueo.

"Ah!" I exclaimed. "Um, Pueo, dodge it and use, uh, Leafage!"

Pueo wasn't quite able to dodge the full attack, but he was able to pelt Tarin with leaves from the move I chose. Battling with Pueo was amazing. It felt like if we worked together, there wasn't anything we couldn't do.

The battle wasn't incredibly long, with both Hau's and my Pokemon being relatively weak, but it was still intense. Pueo and I barely managed to win against Tarin and Hau.

"Hooo-ee!" Hau exclaimed as he jumped around. "That gave me chicken skin!" He stopped and walked over to me. "Alani Mahina, right? Your Rowlet was awesome! Here's some prize money for beating me in your first battle." Right after giving me a bit of cash, Hau went right back to jumping. "Now that settles it! I'm going to go all-out tomorrow!"

At that moment, the stone in my bag glimmered. It was bright enough that the people around me noticed it was there.

"Hm? Alani. Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?" Hala asked. When I gave the stone to him, he began to closely inspect it.

"Could it be?!" he gasped.

"Tutu, isn't that..." Hau spoke up.

Hala looked up at me. "You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge-isn't that what I heard, Alani?"

"Yes," I responded. "Tapu Koko flew in and saved me. When it left, that stone was where it stood."

"I see..." Hala said thoughtfully. "So it even deigned to give you a stone... Perhaps you are here in Alola, Alani, because this is where you are meant to be. Allow me to borrow this stone for now. Fret not! I'll return it to you tomorrow evening." Pocketing the stone, Hala started to talk about my battle against Hau.

"It would seem that you have the makings of a fine Trainer," Hala said as he smiled. "You must do us the honor of joining in our festival tomorrow!"

"It does sound interesting," I replied, "I'll give it a shot."

"Let's make sure you get home safe first," Kukui said. "Lillie, you come with us, too. Wouldn't want to go off losing you twice in one day! You or that precious Pokemon of yours, yeah."

"Alright," Lillie nodded. "I'll be sure to keep track of..."

"Pew!"

"Oh, you!" Lillie chided as she turned to face Nebby. "Don't go trying run off the moment you're told not to!"

Nebby danced around, avoiding Lillie, while the rest of us laughed.

* * *

I said goodbye to Kukui and Lillie, and opened the door to my house. Mewy ran over and greeted me and Pueo. The two Pokemon continued looking at each other, starting up what seemed like a very lively conversation.

"Welcome home, Alani!" my mom said from the kitchen. "What kind of Pokemon did you get?"

"I chose a Rowlet," I said as I smiled at Pueo.

"Koo!" Pueo exclaimed, looking up at her.

"Oh, how adorable! So, why did you choose this lil cutie?" my mom asked.

"Well," I began, "it was a tough decision, but in the end, Pueo here looked like the best of the three Pokemon!"

My mom laughed. "Well, I think you made the right decision! You two look great together!"

As we sat down for dinner, I told my mom about the festival. She seemed fairly supportive of it. With that, I went off to bed, eagerly anticipating the next day.

* * *

 **Fun fact: I came up with Tarin because I spelled "train" wrong while writing something else.**

 **So, for the update schedule, my plan so far is to update once a week, probably on Sundays or Mondays. Gives me plenty of time to try and write ahead since I'm trying to survive my senior year of high school, so that plus writer's block will hold me up quite a bit on the chapters. But! I'm almost done with Melemele Island, so I'll be set for awhile.**

 **Feedback on chapters is greatly appreciated! Keeps the motivation going. Example: I lost motivation for the first fanfic I wrote, but I got a comment on it recently, and now I'm gonna try to bring it back to life! It's gonna take awhile to get it back underway, though. But yeah, comments are the fuel of the fire! They are a great help! (I'll be going through to fix any grammar errors pointed out to me, just not right now. Kinda sorta sneaking in posting this cuz my parents are hosting a party and I'm peopled out)**

 **See ya'll next week!**


	3. Battle at the Festival

**Hello, everyone! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry that the battle scenes aren't so hot. I'm still working on how to make it sound like an actual battle and not basically two people with sticks hitting each other. Probably need to go watch some of the anime and see how they do it XD Also, just so ya'll know, I type all of the chapters on my phone, so the paragraphs seem much longer on there than on the computer. I try to add words so that it's not a bunch of short little lines when you look at it on the computer, but it doesn't always work out.**

 **There's a reply to a certain review from the first chapter at the end of this one. It was originally right below this paragraph, but it ended up being a doozy, so I booted it to the end. I unfortunately forgot to reply to the other ones, but this one was a bit more urgent.**

* * *

I spent most of the next day preparing for the festival. It wasn't until evening, and Pueo and I still needed to work on the whole battling concept. We were running about the outskirts, battling wild Pokemon as they appeared. Most of the time we were doing pretty good, but not everything went as smoothly as we would have liked.

"Pueo! Go to your left! N-no, your other left!"

"Use Leafage! Wait, no, that's a Wingull, use Tackle instead!"

"Huh? Where'd that Yungoos-OH SHIT WHEN'D IT GET BEHIND ME?"

Even when I was struggling to battle like a seasoned Trainer, we were having fun. This aspect of life-the life of a Trainer and her Pokemon-was entirely new to both of us. It was a new challenge, and it was sure to be filled with all sorts of surprises later on. The people and Pokemon we'd meet, the places we'd go...Pueo and I couldn't wait to see what was in store for us!

Evening came around, and with it, so did Kukui. He was dressed about the same as he was yesterday, though his labcoat somehow seemed slightly more tattered than it had the day before.

"Hey, Alani! Ready for the festival? I'm looking forward to seeing you and your Pokemon's moves, oh yeah!" Kukui shouted from the front of the house.

I scrambled to get ready. Kukui hadn't told me when he was going to stop by, and I was only partially ready to go at the time. Once I grabbed my bag and put on my shoes, Pueo and I rushed out of the door.

"Sorry, Kukui!" I said once I reached him. "Didn't know you'd be coming by now."

"Hey, it's alright, Alani, no harm done, yeah," Kukui laughed. "Now, let's head to the festival, oh yeah!" Kukui started to walk to the path left of my house.

"Huh? I thought the path on the right led to Iki Town..." I said.

"Well, it does," Kukui replied, shrugging a bit. "But since you have Pueo by your side, I figured we could take a different route. One where we could see more wild Pokemon, yeah!"

We started along the path known as Route One. Kukui showed me how to catch Pokemon along the way. I thought I knew how to do it already, but when he gave me some Pokeballs to catch a Pikipek, I realized just how wrong I was. It was a challenge to weaken it enough, and it was even more challenging to throw the Pokeball the right distance. I constantly missed the Pokemon because my aim was so bad. Eventually, I managed to catch it, and we continued with our trip.

By the time we reached Iki Town, the festival was in full swing. People were once again singing and dancing, but this time, there was a Pokemon battle raging on the stage. Just looking at it filled me with an excited energy.

"Alani! Over here!" a voice called out.

Kukui and I weaved through the crowd towards the person who called out. It was Hau. He was a little ball of energy, bouncing all over the place in excitement. Lillie was standing next to him, looking slightly nervous but still rather happy.

"Hey, Hau!" I said once we reached them. "Nice to see you again!"

"Woo! Hau, you certainly look full of energy, oh yeah!" Kukui laughed. "Ready for the big match?"

"I was born ready!" Hau enthusiastically shouted.

We walked over to the stage. Atop it was a heated battle between an Alolan Meowth and a Rockruff, according to my Pokedex. People were gathered around, cheering for one or the other. Hala was right at the edge of the stage, smiling brightly as he watched the Pokemon battle. Suddenly, Rockruff was able to deal a devastating blow to Meowth, ending the match. People cheered, and a very familiar Pokemon cry resounded in the distance.

I gasped. "Huh? That sound! Wasn't that Tapu Koko?"

"Yep!" Hau confirmed. "That was our guardian, all right. You know, this festival and its battles are all dedicated to it. The tapu loves a good Pokemon battle."

"So cool..." I whispered.

"Ah, why if it isn't Hau and Alani!" Hala said once he saw us. "Come over here, you two."

"You two showed up at just the right time, hm?" Hala told us once we were both there. "This battle just ended. How about we finish this ceremony with you two battling once more?"

"Yeah! Sounds great!" Hau said. I simply nodded.

We went to opposite sides of the stage. Hala introduced both of us, and we stepped up as he called our names. My palms became sweaty as tension filled the air. The battle commenced, and we sent out our Pokemon.

"Pitters!" I called out as I sent out the Pikipek I just caught.

"Go, Chuchino!" Hau shouted as he sent out a Pichu.

I winced as I double checked my Pokedex. Pichu was an Electric-type, and Flying-types were weak to electric. Pitters and Pueo were both Flying-types, so I'd have to struggle my way through this first Pokemon.

"Ok, Pitters, use Peck!" I said.

Pitters flew up to Chuchino and jabbed it with her beak. Chuchino was knocked back a little ways, then used Charm on Pitters as Hau directed. It was a direct "hit" on Pitters, and I saw her will to hurt Chuchino drop slightly.

"Peck again!" I told Pitters.

"Chuchino, Thundershock!" Hau called out.

Pitters landed a hit right as Chuchino released its move. A bright light flashed from them, and once we could see again, we were greeted with the sight of two fainted Pokemon. The crowd around us gasped.

Pulling out Pitters's Pokeball, I sent her back into it. Hau did the same for Chuchino. I smiled a bit. We were both down to our starters. This was actually really fun!

"Pueo! You can do it!"

"Go get 'em, Tarin!"

The crowd cheered as we both sent out our last Pokemon. Hau and I grinned at each other, eyes burning with the passion for battle. Our Pokemon mimicked us, ready to follow our commands.

"Ok, Pueo! Leafage!" I told my Pokemon.

"Baby-Doll Eyes, then dodge!" Hau shouted.

Tarin gave Pueo a look with very innocent eyes. Pueo's attack faltered slightly, and Tarin was able to dodge most of the leaves.

"Don't give up, Pueo! We can do this!" I cheered on.

The match was mostly Tarin dodging leaves and Pueo avoiding jets of water. Both Pokemon seemed to be doing well, but Pueo had the type advantage. Slowly but surely, Tarin grew tired from the attacks, and after a well-aimed Tackle took it off-guard, it fainted, and Pueo and I won the match.

Hala clapped. "Now that was quite the match between these two new Trainers! You both did well in bringing out the power of your Pokemon. And as for Tapu Koko..."

Once again, Tapu Koko's cry could be heard, this time sounding closer than before.

"He is pleased!" Hala said. "And with that, the festival shall conclude. Thank you all for giving our guardian such spectacular battles!"

As I stepped off of the stage, Hala pulled me to the side. In his hand was what appeared to be a bracelet made of stone that gave off a powerful aura.

"Alani," Hala began, "This is the stone that Tapu Koko entrusted to you yesterday. As the kahuna of this island, I have turned it into what is known as a Z-Ring. With this, you will be able to draw out the full power of your Pokemon as you continue to grow together."

"Really?" I asked as I slipped it onto my left wrist. "That's so cool! Thank you!"

Hala laughed. "Ah, but you won't be able to make use of the Z-Ring's powers quite yet! That time will come later in your journey, when you and your Pokemon are ready for it. For now, why don't you go back to Hau, hm? He seems to be waiting for you."

I looked over my shoulder. Hau's face appeared as he jumped to see us over the people around him. Once we made eye contact, he started waving. Thanking Hala once again, I went over to join Hau.

* * *

"Man, you and Pueo really are something," Hau said as we walked towards the exit of Iki Town. "You two looked like you've been battling together for ages!"

"Heh, it didn't really feel that way, but thanks, Hau," I smiled. "You and Tarin did a great job, too."

"Ah, c'mon, give yourself some credit, Alani!" Hau said as he elbowed me. "Most Trainers are still floundering to learn how to battle the day after they get their first Pokemon!"

"And what about yourself?" I pointed out. "You look like a pretty new Trainer to me, but you seem to be perfectly capable, too."

Hau scratched the back of his head. "Well, gramps lets me use some of his Pokemon on occasion, so I guess I already had a basic idea of the ropes. Oh, hey, here's the exit." We had reached the wooden gate that marked the road. It was time to part ways.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Alani. See you tomorrow!" Hau said.

"It was nice talking to you too, Hau," I said with a small smile. "See ya!" With that, I started back towards home.

* * *

 **Train wreck** **chapter is a train wreck chapter. I feel like I kinda got better as I made more chapters, though. Except chapter three. That was bad. And that'll be posted next week! Anywho, review response is below this. Have an awesome week, ya'll!**

* * *

 **Response to the review on chapter one (it's either chapter one or the prologue. naming chapters is throwing me off XD)! Imma start out with this; please be a little more polite with your wording. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and hoping you did not mean to come off as rude, but you really did to me, especially in that last paragraph. Now, I'll admit that you're correct about the punctuation. Dialogue has never been my strong point, so that was a good tip. I think I had read something online that gave me really bad advice on how to write dialogue, and that's what screwed me over. That should be fixed in all of the chapters by the time I post this. The other two points, however, I would have to disagree with. The species of Pokemon (as well as types, apparently) are capitalized, based on in-game text. Professor is also capitalized. I had spent awhile waffling over that one as well as a few others until I finally decided to look to the game for capitalization. Regardless of how the capitalization is supposed to be in real life, I'm choosing to go with how the games do it, even if it "spits in the face" of real-life grammar. I understand that a character waking up is an incredibly generic way to start any chapter or story, but some of the greatest stories have simple beginnings (such as the Zelda games), and considering the map distance between Pallet Town and Vermilion City, it made sense for me to have Alani and her mother to head out early in the morning. If Pallet Town had a port in-game, I probably would have had a different start. As for the waking up in the first chapter, it's referenced several times throughout the game that Alola's way the heck far away from Kanto (like a day/night difference), which also means jet lag is intense. I know I get at least a bit screwed up after heading to either coast in the US, and I remember my sleep schedule was a total wreck after I came back from Europe, so I figured something similar should happen here. Granted, I probably messed it up in later chapters, but who knows, maybe Alani's pretty quick at getting over jetlag! :D Besides, I'm doing this for fun. I fully expect myself to end up falling into cliche story parts and possibly even a few plot holes, regardless of how often I read over what I wrote.**

 **Sorry that got so long. I just wanted to respond to all the points in your review. For future reference, please make sure to re-read reviews to make sure they don't sound too rude! You never know what kind of life a person has, and what you say can either make or break their day.**


	4. Setting Off for Adventure

**Ok, there is pretty much a guaranteed hiatus after Melemele because thaT BREATH OF THE WILD TRAILER OH MY GOD IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! AAAA I'M SO EXCITED FOR IT! Just look at how big the world is! And there's so much to do! And that storyline looks like it's gonna be amazing!**

 **Anyways, I've got the dumb chapter in tow! Seriously though. I'm not all that proud of this one. I know my writing kinda sucks, but this chapter is just flat-out awful (curse the formatting for not letting me say it the way I wanted to). I've tried to find ways to make it a bit better, but this was all I was able to come up with. I'm too far along in this story now to make huge changes. Oh well!**

* * *

I woke up to Mewy tapping on my forehead, just like he did when I was going to be late to school back in Kanto. Old habits die hard, after all. Once he was satisfied that I was awake, he wandered out of my room, leaving me with two sleeping piles of feathers and my thoughts.

I stared at the ceiling. It had hardly been two days since I arrived in Alola, and my life had already been flipped around. I was a Pokemon Trainer. I had my own Pokemon. I've battled. Twice, at that. I could do anything now, with Pueo at my side. It was an amazing feeling, and I could hardly believe it wasn't a dream.

I eventually got around to getting ready for the day, putting on a red striped tank top, beige shorts, a pink hibiscus hairclip, and blue sneakers. Once I was all set, I tried to will myself to wake up Pueo and Pitters. They were rather cute, making quiet chirping sounds and nestled up in a pillow and blankets. In the end, I just couldn't do it, so I carried them to the table. Pueo started to open his eyes once I started getting out some breakfast for the two of us. With a yawn, he stretched out his wings and shook himself awake. Pitters followed soon after, being tapped by Pueo's wing. With happy chirps, they took some of the fruit I set out and began eating.

I heard the door to my mom's room open. She went through it and groggily looked at me.

"Oh, Alani, you're awake," my mom stated. "That's surprising. Normally, you'd be out cold right now."

I shrugged. "Yeah, but Mewy didn't realize that I don't have school."

Just then, a knock resounded on our front door. It didn't sound like Kukui-the knock was to delicate. Plus, knowing him, he'd just let himself in.

"I'll go see who it is," I said as I stood up. "I just finished eating, anyways."

I went and opened the door, expecting possibly Hau to be behind it. To my surprise, it wasn't him that I opened the door to. It was Lillie.

"Um, hello, Alani," Lillie began. "Professor Kukui sent me to get you. He had said 'Hey, Lillie! Do me a solid and go get that awesome new Trainer, yeah!' So that's what I'm doing here."

"Alright," I said. "Gimme a sec, and I'll be right out."

I told my mom that Kukui wanted to see me. She nodded at me with a smile and wish me good luck, which confused me a bit. Did she know something that I didn't? I shook it off and grabbed my backpack from my room. Pueo perched himself on my shoulder while Pitters decided to return to her Pokeball to snooze some more, and we set off with Lillie on a path south of my house.

"Professor Kukui's lab is down this way," Lillie said quietly. "It's surrounded by tall grass. He says it's so that he can see Pokemon moves up close. Since I'm not a Trainer, I always have to use Max Repel to go to and from there."

I raised my eyebrows a bit. "Huh. So Kukui researches Pokemon moves? I've never heard of anyone doing that."

"Well, he certainly is...quite the character sometimes," Lillie sighed.

As we approached a slightly beat-up hut on the beach, a voice could be faintly heard coming from it. It sounded like Kukui's voice.

"Yeah, Rockruff! Come at me! My body is ready! Woo!"

A few seconds later, a boom resounded from the hut, rattling the entire structure. A bit of the roof caved in a bit from the force, too.

"Oh no," Lillie groaned. "He's studying moves right now. The roof's going to have to be patched up again. And his lab coat's probably in shreds, which means I'll have to sew it back together, and I'm no good at mending clothes, so he'll just have to buy another one...Just when I finally got those mud stains out of it, too..."

"Well, Kukui certainly does seem to have an interesting way of researching if it's managed to destroy the building more than once!" I giggled. Pueo made chuckling noises as well.

We entered the building and saw Kukui sprawled out on the floor with a Rockruff bouncing around beside him. As Lillie suspected, his lab coat was fairly torn up, though it did seem fixable. It looked like he got tackled by some sort of very angry rock.

Aside from Kukui and the bit of roof on the floor, the space itself seemed pretty nice. There was a tank full of ocean life directly ahead of us in what seemed like a research-dining room combo. A small kitchen was to my left, as well as a living room with a small Pokemon with a pink head sleeping in it. A ladder was on the wall next to the kitchen, leading up to a loft. To my right were stairs leading down to the basement, most likely where the real research took place.

Kukui raised his head a bit. A grin split his face once he saw Lillie and me standing in front of him. He got off the floor and, after shaking himself off, walked over to us.

"Looks like you found her, Lillie! Great job, yeah!" Kukui praised Lillie. Turning to me, he said, "Now, the reason why I called you here is because it finally arrived, oh yeah!"

"It?" I asked, slightly perplexed.

"The very important part of your Pokedex, yeah!" Kukui said. "Lillie, don't let me be the only one explaining, yeah?"

"Oh! W-well," Lillie stuttered, "from what I understand, Alani, the Pokedex you have is very special. It has a Pokemon from the Sinnoh region called Rotom in it."

"That's right!" Kukui confirmed. "What you have there is a special 'dex called a RotomDex! It was first developed in the Kalos region. And with the part that came in, Rotom can finally help you out, oh yeah!"

Kukui took my Pokedex and then pulled something out of his pocket. Miraculously, it was unscathed, despite his obvious run-in with a Pokemon move. He began to fiddle with the Pokedex, and after a few moments, it began to crackle and produced a flash of light. Once the light dissipated, an orange Pokemon was hovering in the air next to Kukui.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that, Rotom!" Kukui said as he continued working on the object. "Didn't mean to startle you. The part finally came in, so I'm fixing up your favorite 'dex so that you can help out Alani here, yeah!"

Kukui finished the upgrade and held the Pokedex out to Rotom. It re-entered it, and the Pokedex transformed a bit, the most notable new features being the hand-like protrusions and the face on the screen.

Rotom flew over to me. "Hey there! I'm Rotom! Careful with the merchandise, alright?"

"Hah! Looks like Rotom's already taken a liking to you, Alani!" Kukui laughed. "Anyways, let me tell you about some of the features of the RotomDex, yeah! You see, this here 'dex can do much more when Rotom's in it. Rotom can automatically register a new Pokemon into your Pokedex without you having to lift a finger, so you can focus on whatever you're currently doing, such as battling said Pokemon. This particular Pokedex also has a built-in GPS, so whenever you're stuck, Rotom can pull it up and send you on your way, oh yeah!"

"That's so cool!" I replied cheerfully. "Glad to have you with me, Rotom!"

Footsteps started to echo behind me as someone ran into the building. By the sound of their breathing, they ran a considerable distance to get here. Turning myself around, I saw that it was Hau, his face bright and sunny as usual.

"Heya, Professor!" Hau wheezed slightly. "I came running as soon as I heard the news from my gramps! Oh, cool, is that a loft?" Hau was almost instantly distracted by the ladder on the wall and ran over to it, eager to see what was up it.

Lillie quickly intercepted him and blocked the ladder. "N-no! You can't go up there! It's a private loft!"

"Yeah, I'm letting Lillie use that loft. You're not the type to just barge into a girl's room, Hau, now are you?" Kukui grinned.

Hau was immediately flustered. "Uh, n-no! No way! I-I'd never!"

As we laughed at Hau, I remembered something. Hau had said he came running after he heard something from Hala. What was that something, though?

"So, uh, Hau? Why'd you run all the way down here?" I asked.

"Oh, right!" Hau exclaimed. "I came here because I heard you were going to start your island challenge, just like me!"

"Island challenge? Is that kinda like the gym challenge in Kanto?" I asked again.

"Ah, Hau, you spoiled the surprise!" Kukui chuckled. "But, he's right, and so are you. The island challenge is where Trainers travel between all of the islands of Alola, battle the captains and kahunas, and strive to become the Island Challenge Champion, yeah! And Alani, your island challenge begins right now, oh yeah!"

Kukui handed me a small metal trinket. It had four different colors on it, most likely to represent the islands of Alola. I attached it to the strap of my bag.

"Alrighty! Since you're still a new Trainer, I think we oughta stop by the Trainers' School, yeah! Let's go, everyone!" Kukui said as he ushered us out of the door.

* * *

We made our way to the Trainers' School, which was just barely within the main part of Hau'oli City. It had a fairly big campus with a large building with a Pikachu painted on it. There were a few kids with Pokemon battling on the dirt fields on the western part of campus, but other than that, it seemed almost deserted. Class was probably in session.

"Woo! Here we are! The Trainers' School!" Kukui clasped his hands together. "I need to go talk to someone in the building real quick, so you kids wait here, yeah?" He went up the stairs and into the school, leaving Lillie, Hau, and me standing in the middle of the parking lot.

Hau put his hands behind his head. "Huh. Wonder who Kukui went to talk to. You think it's a teacher or someone like that?"

"I think that's the case." Lillie said. "I'm sure he knows that Alani has read as much as she can about being a Trainer, and that you've already learned how to take care of Pokemon from your grandfather, so he's most likely trying to find a teacher that can come out and test you two so that you can move along with your island challenge."

"Wait, I'm being tested, too?" Hau looked slightly confused. "I understand Alani being tested-uh, no offense, Alani-but I have to take a test, too?"

"That's right! But on the bright side, it's not one of those boring old standardized tests, yeah!" Kukui announced as he approached us. He had someone who looked like a teacher in tow as well as a few students. "Miss Kumu here is going to assess how well you two are doing at battling!"

The lady behind him smiled. "Yes. As Professor Kukui said, I am Miss Kumu. My students and I will check to see just how strong your bond with your Pokemon has become. Follow me." Miss Kumu said as she walked towards the battle fields.

"Now, this test is fairly simple, so you should have no problems completing it," Miss Kumu said once we were all gathered around a field. "What you will do is battle the students that I brought with me, and I will assess how you and your Pokemon battle. Alani, could you be so kind as to go first?"

I took a deep breath. "Alright." I stepped onto one half of the field, while one of the students went to the other half. This was going to be my first time battling a Trainer aside from Hau. I wasn't sure if I was fully ready, but it wasn't like I had much of a choice.

Pueo hopped off my shoulder and landed on the field. He was raring to go. The other Trainer sent out a Yungoos. It gnashed its teeth at Pueo, who puffed himself up and glared back at it.

"You ready to go?" the girl opposing me asked. I nodded, and the battle began.

Battling a trained Yungoos was definitely different than battling a wild one. This Pokemon was much stronger, and it had a better battle plan thanks to its Trainer. Pueo ended up having to be on defense more than offense due to Yungoos's superior speed. The battle dragged on for a little while, but eventually, Pueo was able to land a decisive Tackle that ended the match.

"Oh, geez!" the girl said as she called back her Pokemon. "You and your Rowlet are stronger than you look!"

The next battle was a breeze. The young boy only had a Grubbin, which both of my Pokemon had an advantage over. Pueo took it out within a few minutes. The battle after that one, however, was much more difficult. This kid had a Grimer, and not only did it look different than Grimer in Kanto, but its style of fighting was different. It would not only use strong poison-type moves, but it would also drop crystals that, according to Rotom, leaked poisonous gases when broken. I couldn't use Pueo since he was at an extreme disadvantage against it. Pitters was able to just barely hold her own against Grimer and defeat it, but not without getting poisoned in the process.

"Those were some amazing battles! I think you're ready to head towards your first Trial." Miss Kumu excitedly said. She walked up to me and handed me some Potions and a Pecha Berry. "Here. Use these on your Pokemon, and give the Pecha Berry to your Pikipek."

"Thank you, Miss Kumu," I said as I used the items to heal my Pokemon.

"Now, just one last thing. I know I said that you'd only be battling my students, but after seeing you and your Pokemon in action, I would really like to battle you myself!"

I blinked. Me, battling a teacher? There was no way I'd be able to win. She had so much more experience than I did! I looked at Pueo and Pitters. They returned my gaze with ones full of confidence in themselves and in me.

"Alright," I said, giving in to my Pokemon. "I'll battle you."

"Yeah, Alani!" Hau cheered from the sideline. "That's the spirit! You can do it!"

Miss Kumu sent out a Magnemite. Pitters and Pueo chirped at each other for a little bit. Once they finished talking about something, they both nodded, and Pueo nudged Pitters out onto the field. They both had a type disadvantage, but Pitters at least knew how to use Rock Smash, so we stood a partial chance against Magnemite.

"Ok, Pitters," I said. "Start off with Echoed Voice!"

Pitters let loose a wave of sound at Beirg. It hit it squarely, but the move didn't seem to do a thing.

"Beirg's part Steel-type," Miss Kumu explained. "Normal-type moves won't do much against it. Now, use Charge, Bierg!"

Beirg started storing electricity, making its moves stronger. I had to try and end the battle before things got too bad for us.

"Hurry! Get in there and use Rock Smash!" I told Pitters.

"Stop it with Thundershock, Bierg!" Miss Kumu told her Magnemite.

Bierg sent out bolts of electricity at Pitters. Pitters managed to maneuver around most of the shocks an approached Bierg. Just before she was able to land a hit, however, Bierg let loose another Thundershock, hitting Pitters directly.

"Pitters!" I cried in despair. My poor bird crashed to the ground, and she barely managed to get back up.

"I think that's enough battling for now," Miss Kumu said as she called back Bierg. "You're still a new Trainer, and it was rather unfair of me to set your Pikipek against a Pokemon with a type advantage over it."

I ignored what Miss Kumu was saying and ran over to Pitters. Tears started to fall from my eyes. How could I have let this happen? I shouldn't have accepted the battle. My Pokemon got really hurt. She trusted me, and I failed her. This was all my fault.

"That was some fine battling!"

I looked up with bleary eyes and saw someone with light pink hair walking towards me. He had a relatively large Smeargle at his side.

"My name's Ilima, the trial captain of Melemele Island," Ilima said. "I saw your battles just now. You and your Pokemon have such great potential!"

"But I lost," I pointed out, trying to keep my voice even.

"That may be the case, but everyone loses a battle every now and then, especially when they first start out. You and your Pokemon still have plenty of time to grow and get stronger," Ilima reassured me.

"He's right," Miss Kumu agreed. "Everyone tends to have a rocky start on their journey. You may not have been able to beat me right now, but you and your Pokemon still hold amazing potential. Don't let a single loss hold you down." She handed me a bag with the school's mascot on it. In it were several Potions, Pokeballs, and some cash. "This is a kit premade by the school for those who are going to start their island challenge. Once you heal your Pokemon at the Pokemon Center just outside of our campus, you should head out to Route Two and head to the trial site."

"Oh, before you go to Route Two, could you meet me at the Marina in Hau'oli City?" Ilima asked. "I want to talk to you before you head out."

"Alright. I'll try to find my way there in a little bit." I resigned as I walked over to my friends with my Pokemon.

Kukui placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, no need to feel down, Alani! You still have a whole journey ahead of you to make amazing memories and get even stronger, yeah! For now, why don't you head to the PMC like Ilima and Miss Kumu said? Lillie, could you go with her?"

"I will," Lillie said as she nodded her head. Turning to me, she beckoned me to follow her, so I did. We turned left from the Trainers' School and entered a building with a red roof.

"These circular buildings with red roofs are Pokemon Centers, or PMCs for short," Lillie said as we walked in. "Talk to the lady behind the counter, and she'll heal your Pokemon for free! It's a very wonderful thing."

I mustered up the courage to do what Lillie said. The lady was very kind and said that my Pokemon would be out shortly. After that, I went back to Lillie, who began to explain a few other aspects of Pokemon Centers in Alola.

"From what I've read, Trainers on their island challenge are also allowed to stay at Pokemon Centers for free. All you have to do is show the lady behind the desk your island challenge charm and ask to stay the night, and you'll be taken to a small room where you can stay the night. I've heard there are a few that don't have that deal, however. They're generally near motels, so if they had that deal, the motels would go out of business." Lillie shook her head. "Oh dear, I think I got slightly off-topic. Anyways, to the right of the desk is the PokeMart. There, you can buy supplies for your journey, such as Potions, Repels, and basic food for yourself and your Pokemon. On the left of the desk is a cafe. You can get drinks and meals there, as well as the occasional case of PokeBeans. I personally enjoy the ones that serve Moo Moo Milk."

"Alani Mahina? Your Pokemon are healed and ready to go!" the lady at the desk called. I went up and got Pueo and Pitters. They were incredibly happy to see me, and it warmed my heart. Together, we walked back over to Lillie, who was ordering a drink from the cafe.

"Oh, Alani!" Lillie greeted me. "Would you like something to drink? I'll get it for you."

"That's really nice of you, Lillie, but you don't have to. I could just get something myself..." I said sheepishly, but once again, she wouldn't take no for an answer and insisted on getting me something. In the end, I settled for getting the same thing Lillie ordered, a Moo Moo Milk. The cashier gave us Pokebeans as a bonus for stopping by, too. After chatting with Lillie and feeding my Pokemon some beans, I felt much better.

"So, where are we going now?" I asked Lillie as we exited the Pokemon Center.

"Well, I was think of showing you around Hau'oli City," Lillie murmured. "After all, there's plenty of shops to visit, and Ilima asked you to meet him at the Marina."

"Oh, right. I guess I kinda forgot about that," I said as I ran my hand through my hair.

We hadn't gone far past the Trainers' School when we heard a loud roar from around the corner. Looking in the direction of the sound, we saw Hala slowly coaxing a Tauros away from the traffic on the road.

"Woah, now! Easy there, Tauros," Hala said to the overly eager Pokemon in front of him. Looking over his shoulder, Hala noticed me and Lillie staring in shock. He waved at us. "Hey, Alani, Lillie, come over here for a second, hm?"

Pulling ourselves out of shock, we walked over to Hala. The Tauros with him stared at me intently the whole time.

Hala greeted us with a smile. "It's nice to see you two again! How is your island challenge going, Alani?"

I winced a bit, averting my gaze to the ground next to me. "It...could be worse, I guess."

"Well, not every challenge you will face in life will be smooth sailing, hmm?" Hala said. "While it is unfortunate that you weren't able to start this one on the right foot, you will learn from this experience, and in turn, become a stronger and wiser person than you are now." Hala turned to the Pokemon in front of him to calm it down a bit more. "Regardless, would you like to pet this Tauros? It would be a good way to bond with it."

"But, what about the people waiting for it to move off of the street?" Lillie pointed out. "It would be rude to make them wait too much longer."

"Ah, I suppose you're right, Lillie," Hala said as he chuckled at himself. "Let's move onto the sidewalk so these people can continue with their day."

Once we shuffled over to the side-which was incredibly difficult, considering we had to move a very stubborn bull along with us-I reached out and rubbed Tauros on its head. It leaned into my touch ever so slightly. I could practically feel the power radiating off of the Pokemon.

"Tauros here seems to have taken a liking to you!" Hala said with a grin. "Well, we'll be off now. I look forward to battling you soon!"

"Right...Once I finish the trial on this island, I'll have to battle Hala..." I said woefully as we parted ways with Hala. "I don't know if I'll be able to beat him."

"I'm sure you'll be able to do it," Lillie said as we continued walking. "You, Pueo, and Pitters will be much stronger by the time you'll have to face Kahuna Hala in battle. I don't like to see Pokemon getting hurt in battles, but I really am looking forward to seeing you battle him."

Right as we passed a crack in the wall, someone shouted for us. We stopped and turned around to see Hau barreling down the street at us.

"Hau!" I exclaimed. "Slow down a bit! You're running everyone over!"

"Hah, sorry," Hau said sheepishly once he reached us. "I just wanted to catch up to you two before you got too far ahead! There's something in the Tourist Center that I think you'd be interested in, Alani."

Hau half-dragged us into a nearby building. The inside of it was incredibly tropical, as to be expected of a place for tourists. We went up to the front desk.

"Hey, do you still happen to have that deal for anyone with a RotomDex?" Hau asked the lady behind the counter.

"Why yes, we do," she replied. "I'm surprised you know about the PokeFinder, considering how few RotomDexes there are in the world. If you would hand me it for just a brief moment, I'll add the feature to it."

Rotom flew out of my bag and went to the lady. She went through a door with it, then returned several minutes later with a very happy Rotom. Once she explained to me what the PokeFinder was and how to use it, I thanked her, and we headed out. The moment we stepped outside, Rotom flew in front of us and took a picture, blinding us for a split second. Snickering, it flew back into my bag.

"What...what was that for?" Lillie thought out loud as we regained our sight.

"Eh, Rotom probably wanted to show off its new feature!" Hau laughed. "Well, I'm gonna head to the malasada shop, then I'll be off to Route Two to play with my Pokemon-I mean, train them up for my first trial. Yeah, train. Definitely. Catch you guys later!" He ran off, leaving me and Lillie in front of the tourist center.

"Well, I'm not sure if I want to stop by the malasada shop right away," Lillie said, "but how about we explore the city a bit while we head to the Marina? I'm sure there's all sorts of new things you'll enjoy in Hau'oli."

"Sounds good," I replied. "Let's go!"

* * *

 **I don't care what the game does, I wanted to travel with Lillie, and gosh darn, I'm writing it in here! It'll make for some weird shenanigans to keep me on the plot (because this story and I will die if I stray too far from it), but it's totally worth it.**

 **Also, school has started for me, so between that and Breath of the Wild, the hiatus I mentioned might last for awhile. Hopefully not too long, though! I really do plan on seeing this story through to the end.**

 **See ya'll next week!**


	5. Tough as Nails, Hard as Bone

**Aloooola! How's everyone been? Hope life's been good to ya. My week's been alright, though it did take a bit of a nosedive starting on Thursday. Nearly went into some ditches even though I was driving super slow. Fun stuff (not really)! Anyways, I got tons of stuff to do today, so I'll keep this note brief and ket you guys get to the story!**

* * *

Hau'oli City was absolutely enormous! I had read in guide books that it was one of Alola's largest cities, but even when I first came to Alola, I never really got a sense of the city's size. The streets were filled with people and Pokemon going about their day as well as cars that were zooming about. Street performers would be set up in front of very popular buildings or at corners, and occasionally a policeman would come up to them and tell them to leave. A few cafes and bakeries were scattered amongst the various stores, and there was almost always a constant flow of people entering and exiting the buildings. The stores themselves often had a warm and cozy atmosphere to them. The color scheme of most were shades of brown and dark yellow or white, and the staff were incredibly friendly. Lillie and I ended up buying souvenirs and some freshly baked bread on several occasions.

We eventually came to a clothing store. As I walked in, I noticed Lillie was hesitating in front of the store.

"Come on, Lillie!" I said cheerfully. "It's kinda hard to buy anything if you just stand outside of the store."

"Well," Lillie said. "It's just that...I don't know what I would buy." When I gave her a questioning glance, she continued. "This may sound like a strange question, but...do you choose what you wear? Or does your mother?"

I blinked. She wasn't wrong. It was a bit of an odd question. "Well, for the most part, I choose. My mom occasionally intervenes, and I can't do much about that, but I usually have the final say in what I wear."

"Ah. O-of course." Lillie looked at the ground sadly. "My mother always chose my outfits. I never got to choose for myself."

I pulled my mouth into a tight line. "Well, I don't think I see your mother around, so why not take this as an opportunity to make your own choices on clothing?" I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the store. "At least take a look around!"

* * *

Several purchases later, I walked out with a spare outfit, and Lillie with a spare dress. It looked almost exactly like what she was already wearing, but it was near impossible to get her to try something different. Even a nice lady and her Machamp could hardly convince Lillie to get a new dress! We set off for the Marina. Along the way, we happened to pass by the malasada shop. Before I could even comment on how Hau was probably in there, he burst out of the door, hands and mouth full of malasadas.

"Hry, Rirrie, Uhluneh!" Hau tried to greet us, but the sweet treat prevented him from doing so successfully.

Lillie quietly giggled. "Hau, you may want to finish that malasada before trying to say anything."

Hau shrugged his shoulders as he tried to finish the malasada at a superhuman speed. "Well, I wasn't expecting to see you two here already. Anyways," Hau said as he looked at me, "what do you think of Hau'oli City, Alani? Is it anything like what you thought it'd be?"

"Well, it's definitely much bigger than I'd imagined," I replied, "but it's a really nice place! I'm actually really glad we moved here."

"It must be so cool, going to a new place and seeing all sorts of new people and places!" Hau remarked. "I hope my island challenge will do just that for me. I want to have all sorts of new experiences and become stronger. Strong enough to beat my gramps, too!" Hau stuffed most of the malasadas into his bag. "So, where are you two going?"

"Bzzt!" Rotom sounded as he left my bag. "We're going to go meet that dreamboat Ilima at the docks!"

"Rotom!" I sputtered. "What the heck? 'Dreamboat?' Where'd that even come from?"

"Hmm? You mean you didn't think that, zzt? What a shame. You have no taste in men. And here I had hope for you, but alas, it was for naught, zrmm," Rotom said dramatically as he pretended to faint back into my bag.

We all laughed, then parted ways. Hau had his sights on playing, or, as he corrected himself, _training_ , at Route Two. Lillie and I headed for the Marina to meet up with Ilima. Sure enough, the boy with pink hair was standing at the docks, looking out over the ocean.

"Um...Ilima?" I tentatively called out when we were closer. He turned around, but before he could say anything, rough voices sounded behind us.

"Yo, yo, yo! Check it! Whenever, wherever we meet you, Team Skull don't even greet you!" Two people in black-and-white uniforms sauntered up to us, then struck a pose. "So, Cap, just give up the Pokemon, yo."

I wasn't sure how to feel about these "Team Skull" people. It wasn't very cool of them to do what seemed like trying to steal Pokemon, but at the same time...they didn't seem really threatening. They had more of a "dorks who don't have a clue what they're doing" type of vibe to them.

Ilima glanced in their direction, but didn't seem fazed by them at all, confirming my suspicions. He turned back to me and smiled. "Ah, you're the one from the Trainers' School! I'm glad you remembered to meet me here."

"What, what?" one of the strangers interjected. "Why you trying to act hard when we're already hard as bone out here, homie?"

"Yo, let's check these fools!" the other person added.

"Oh, my," Ilima said, shaking his head in exasperation. "How terrifying."

I heard a quiet squeak come from behind me. It was Lillie. Judging on the way she was shaking, she seemed to agree with Ilima's statement, despite the sarcasm laced into it.

"Only thieves steal people's Pokemon. I won't stand for it," Ilima continued. "Alani, wasn't it? I'll have to ask you to take care of the one on the left. I'll get rid of the other one."

"Wha-?" I was caught off-guard. I didn't feel mentally ready for another battle so soon, but I wasn't left with a choice. The Team Skull grunt had already sent out a Zubat. Scrambling to fight back, I pulled out Pueo's Pokeball and sent him out.

"Yo, yo, Zubat! Use Astonish!" the grunt commanded. His Pokemon let out a startling, high-pitched cry. Pueo and I winced.

"Pueo! Use Tackle!" I called out. Pueo shook off the shock from the previous move and flew up to the Zubat, ramming it as hard as he could. Zubat was knocked back several feet, straight for its Trainer's face.

Recovering from nearly getting a face full of bat, the grunt quickly focused back on the battle. "Wing Attack!"

Zubat rushed at Pueo, priming its wings to land a devastating strike. A plan formed in my mind. It wasn't the greatest plan, but it also wasn't the worst.

"Pueo, drop down, then hit it from behind!" I commanded. Pueo did as I told him, allowing Zubat to pass over him, then smashing into it with another Tackle. Zubat's already existent momentum worked against it, and it ended up crashing into a nearby building. It fell to the ground with no energy left to battle.

"H-hey! No fair! I was playing at a different game!" the grunt cried in frustration as he recalled his Pokemon.

"Let's get up outta this port, 'B!" the other grunt said as he recalled his Pokemon. "Nobody has to know about this! We don't need your wack Pokemon anyways, Ilima!" The two grunts ran off, leaving Ilima, Lillie, and me standing on the port.

"Oh, dear," Ilima sighed. "Team Skull is always trying to cause trouble, though they never do succeed in doing so. My thanks to you and your Pokemon, Alani. Here, give these Oran Berries to your Rowlet. They should heal him up."

I gratefully took the berries and offered them to Pueo. He made a happy chirping noise and munched on them. I closed my eyes. That battle helped boost my confidence a bit.

"Pueo did really well in that battle," Lillie remarked. "In fact, I think he looks stronger than before!"

Ilima nodded. "I would have to agree with that. Both you and Pueo seemed to have grown closer and stronger since I last saw you, and that was hardly a few hours ago!" Ilima's Smeargle nudged him, and he gave it a knowing glance. "That reminds me, I should probably tell you why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to battle you and see if you are ready for my trial!"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, "Um, a battle? I...I guess we could do that."

Lillie noticed the hesitation in my voice and cheered me on as Ilima and I set up for a battle. "I'm sure you and your team can do it, Alani! Have faith in yourself!"

Pueo still needed some time to rest after battling earlier, so I sent out Pitters. She chirped happily as she was released from her ball. Ilima sent out a Yungoos. It felt almost like when I was battling students at the Trainers' School, but with the intensity amped up a few notches.

"Ok, Pitters," I said. "Let's start with Echoed Voice!" Pitters nodded and released a booming sound towards Ilima's Yungoos.

"Niho, shake it off and use Leer!" Ilima shouted. Niho sent a dark look at Pitters, and she seemed to be slightly off-put for a moment. Her attack faltered, giving Niho an opportunity to run in. "Bite!" Ilima told his Pokemon. Pitters tried to dodge it, but her foot still ended up getting trapped in Niho's jaws.

"Hit it back with Peck!" I told Pitters. She jabbed Niho with her beak several times, making it let go of her foot. "Now, end it with Rock Smash!" Pitters followed my command, bashing Niho very hard. Niho was knocked to Ilima's feet and was unable to continue battling.

"Yeah, Pitters!" I cheered. Pitters tweeted in happiness and flew in a few loops. Pueo and Lillie cheered from the sideline as well, Pueo hopping up and down and Lillie trying to clap while keeping Nebby from popping out of her bag.

"You did well, Niho," Ilima said as he returned the Pokemon to its Pokeball. He looked back at me with a semi-impressed expression. "Not bad for a new Trainer! But I still have one more Pokemon left. Do you think you'll be able to beat Pena?" The Smeargle at Ilima's side stepped forward, raring to battle.

I looked at Pitters. She seemed tired from battling Niho, and she was avoiding putting too much pressure on her right foot. "Hey, Pitters, take a good rest with Lillie, ok?" I said. Pitters nodded and flew over to Lillie, swapping spots with Pueo.

"Alright, Pueo, let's do this!" I said confidently. Pueo hooted in response.

"Pena, use Ember!" Ilima shouted. I was incredibly confused. Smeargle was a Normal-type. It shouldn't be able to learn Ember. Yet, as I watched, Pena started spitting fire at Pueo.

I refocused on the situation at hand. "Take to the sky, Pueo!" Pueo flew up and over the danger, giving himself leverage over Pena.

"Best come up with another strategy, bzzrt!" Rotom commented as it flew out of my bag. "Smeargle are capable of using Sketch to learn new moves. Seems like this one's learned a move that gives him an advantage over your Rowlet!"

I furrowed my brows. Having Pueo get in close for an attack was out of the question since Pena knew Ember. That left Leafage as the only move I could have him safely use.

"Leafage!" I called to Pueo.

"Stop it with Ember!" Ilima countered.

Pueo sent dozens of sharp leaves at Pena, while said Pokemon tried to burn them all before they could reach it. Most of the leaves in that attack ended charred crisps, but Pueo was smart in his leaf-throwing. He had spread out the leaves as much as possible and then flew behind Pena to start a second wave of leaves.

"Pena, behind you!" Ilima warned his Pokemon. Pena looked over his shoulder, but it was too late. He was assaulted by Pueo's attack, and he winced as the leaves cut him.

"Get him back with Ember!" Ilima said. Pena spun around and released a small bout of flames at Pueo. Pueo tried to get out of the way, but some of the flames hit his wing, sending him to the ground. Ilima grinned. "Now, Pena! Hit him with Tackle!"

"Oh, no," I grimaced. Pueo's wing was burned, so he couldn't fly out of the way. I couldn't let it end like that! "Pueo! Roll away and then use Tackle!"

Pueo threw his body weight to the right, barely missing Pena's attack, then got back up and launched himself at his foe. Instead of just simply hitting Pena with his body, Pueo jabbed him with his beak, dealing more damage than he would've by using Tackle.

"Alright, enough is enough," Ilima sighed as he saw how worn-out Pena looked. He recalled the Pokemon to his Pokeball, then looked at me with a slight smile. "You did very well in that battle. I'd say you're more than ready for my trial!"

"R-really?" I stuttered. I could hardly believe it. I didn't feel like I was anywhere close to ready for my first trial, yet the Captain himself said I was.

"Certainly!" Ilima confirmed. "My trial is on Route Two. I hope to see you there soon!"

"Congratulations, Alani!" Lillie spoke up as Ilima left. I turned to look at her. Her eyes glimmered with happiness. Pitters flew to me from Lillie's arms. As she flew, I noticed that her foot was wrapped in a bandage.

"Oh, you bandaged up Pitters! Thank you, Lillie!" I smiled as Pitters flew to me.

"Oh, it was no big deal," Lillie said as she looked at the ground. "It was the least I could do for you. We should probably stay the night at a Pokemon Center. It's getting rather late."

Lillie was right. The stars were already out, shimmering like diamonds in the sky. It had been a very long day filled with ups and downs, and there was no way we were ready to head to the trial right away. We set off to find the Pokemon Center close to Route Two, the moon shining down on us.

* * *

 **I feel like this one was much better than my previous chapter. Probably because I was in a better state of mind while doing it. Idk. And Rotom was in this one more. That always helps.**

 **While I may be following the basic plot of Sun/Moon, I still plan on having other things happen that didn't happen in the game. I, mean, come on. As amazing of a storyline as the games already have, there would definitely be more that would happen on the side! So, feel free to leave a review with an idea or two (or more!) of some things you'd like to see happen, and I'll try to fit it in somewhere! Have an awesome week, everyone!**


	6. Berries and Puppies

**I would like to say that the first portion of this looked much longer on my phone. Then again, that's the case for all of the chapters.**

 **I've been trying to get more chapters done, but so far, I've only written up to about midway through the Grand Trial. These past couple of weeks have been a mess for me because of homework, band, and college applications. It's been a struggle, but I'm surviving. Anyways, it's Sunday, so here's the next chapter!**

* * *

The next day, Lillie and I set out for Route Two, the cool air kissing our skin. The city was somewhat quieter early in the morning. Sure, there were still plenty of people walking around, but there were fewer cars on the streets, and the atmosphere was calming and peaceful.

That atmosphere changed shortly after we made it to Route Two. Hala's Tauros was causing yet another fuss, and he was trying to calm it down. Tauros kept running around and dodging Hala, as if they were playing a game of tag.

"Hallo, Alani, Lillie!" Hala bellowed once he noticed us. "Glad to see you two doing well!"

"Good morning, Kahuna Hala!" Lillie said cheerfully.

"It most certainly is!" Hala said as he continued to chase his Tauros. "Tauros here certainly thinks it's a fine enough morning to play a game of tag! But this ol' kahuna never loses at this game!" Tauros dashed into the trees and Hala followed close behind it, leaving clouds of dust in their wakes.

Rotom floated out of my bag. "That Tauros really izz something else, hm? Most of them are pretty feisty, but this one seems playful! Zz-zz-zzt!"

I shook my head in amusement. "Well, there's nothing wrong with having a playful Tauros. Anyways, we should keep going. I think it'd be a good idea to get to Verdant Cavern before it gets too dark."

* * *

"Alola is such a wonderful place," Lillie murmured as we watched Cottonee float in the breeze. "People, Pokemon, and nature get along almost perfectly. I wish it was like this everywhere."

"That would be nice," I agreed, "but this world has people and Pokemon that aren't exactly friendly with others, and everyone has different ideals. I doubt a perfect world where everyone gets along will ever be possible."

"True," Lillie countered, "but if we all work together, we could come closer to having a peaceful world."

As we chatted, we approached a house by a small hill. An older man was sitting on the porch, glaring at the sky with a golf club in his hand. He noticed us walking by, and suddenly decided that he needed to confront us. The man got up and walked into our path.

"Yer parents know yer out here?" he growled.

"Wh-what? Why should that matter?" Lillie blurted out.

"Cuz kids shouldn't run off without tellin' their parents where they're goin', that's why." The man narrowed his gaze. He seemed incredibly menacing, as if he'd beat us at a moment's notice.

"Um, s-sir," I nervously spoke up, "our parents know we're going on the island challenge, so it's fine. So, could you please let us by?"

"...Fine," the man said as he started to walk back to the house. "Just know this; it's good for kids to experience their own journeys, but running away without even a word to yer parents is another thing entirely. I tried to set that boy of mine straight, but when I did, I was the one who got beat..." The last thing he said was more of an afterthought and not for us to hear, but we heard it regardless, and it sent chills down our spines. Lillie and I hurried along, anxious to get away from the stranger.

"That guys gives me bad vibes," I whispered when we were far enough away. "It felt like he was someone who wouldn't mind hurting other people."

"Yeah... I feel sorry for whoever his kid is. He must have had a bad childhood, too." Lillie agreed. The second part of what she said, however, threw me for a bit of a loop. Did Lillie not have a good childhood?

"Too? Come to think of it, the only time you've mentioned your parents is when you said-"

"Let's not worry about that right now. Maybe we should...worry about that Delibird that's giving us a weird look?"

Sure enough, there was a Delibird looking at us from the entrance to what looked like a farm. Once it saw it had our attention, it flew over to us and took hold of Lillie's bag, making Nebby squeal in protest to the sudden movement.

"Wha-" Lillie gasped. "H-hey, what are you doing? Stop!" The Pokemon dragged her into the fields, and I followed close behind.

It brought us to a group of people. I noticed right away that two of them looked like the Team Skull thugs from the Marina. Sensing a battle fast approaching, I pulled out Pueo's Pokeball.

"Yo, yo, yo! Whaddya mean, you won't give us the berries, yo?" one of the grunts demanded.

The man they were trying to intimidate simply shook his head. "I'll share my berries for free with any Pokemon that comes by, but I won't share a single one with you!"

The grunt threw his hands into the air. "So, what? I'm lower than a Pokemon?! I've already got self-esteem issues, man!"

The other grunt noticed me and Lillie standing there and confronted us. "And what are you looking at, huh?! Huh? Huh? HUH? Wait a second, you're..." A look of realization crossed his face. "You got a bone to pick with us, homie? You and Cap may have beat us at the Marina, but you won't be so lucky if we get serious, yo!"

The berry man looked at us and gave a nonchalant shrug. "I appreciate your concern, children, but all these Team Skull punks do are talk big and act small. You two carry on with your island challenge. There's no need to worry about them."

The first grunt looked offended. "Yo, we're standing right here! At least act afraid or something, y'know?!" While he rambled, Lillie and I tried to slip away, but we were caught as he turned his head. The grunt stalked up to us.

"You tryin'a run away, huh?" he grumbled. "Guess, we're just gonna have to take the berries AND your Pokemon! Zubat, let's go!" The Zubat I faced in the Marina was once again in front of me.

"Pueo! Let's go!" I shouted as I sent out my Pokemon. Pueo responded with a determined hoot, smirking at Zubat. Or, at least, smirking as well as an owl Pokemon could.

The battle between the two Pokemon did not last very long. Pueo had gotten much stronger than Zubat had, and he quickly managed to overpower the bat. Hardly a few minutes had passed before Zubat was sprawled out on the ground.

"Tch," the grunt glared as he returned Zubat to its ball. "I gotta admit, you're still pretty strong, yo. But if you think you can beat good ol' 'B here, you're terribly wrong, yo!"

"We'll see about that," I deadpanned. I had only run into these two twice, and even /I/ could tell they weren't much of a threat. No wonder Ilima seemed to ignore them for the most part. Shaking my head, I decided to have Pitters battle whatever Pokemon 'B' was going to send out. She landed on the ground, looking somewhat sleepy, but ready for battle.

"Drowzee, let's wreck 'em!" B said as he threw his Pokeball. Drowzee appeared on the field, giving us a dark glare.

"Zrrt! That Drowzee's gonna be a tough opponent!" Rotom said as he flew out of my bag to analyze Drowzee. "His Forewarn ability will give him an advantage since he will sometimes be able to sense exactly where an attack's gonna go, bzzrt!" Pitters looked up, momentarily fascinated by the amount of data Rotom was able to come up with in a short time.

"Drowzee, use Psychic, yo!" B directed. A blue aura-like energy surrounded Pitters, and she was suddenly flung into the nearest tree.

"It's time to focus, Pitters!" I called out. "Use Echoed Voice!" Pitters let loose her attack. A sound wave rippled across the air towards Drowzee, but his ability gave it a head start in dodging the attack. He managed to escape relatively unscathed.

"Use Pound and bring 'em to the ground!" B rhymed. Drowzee charged at Pitters, ready to squash her under his weight.

"Dodge and use Peck!" I countered. Pitters quickly moved out of danger and then doubled back to deliver a painful blow to Drowzee. He spun around to try and swat Pitters away, but she was faster and flew out of range. Before B could tell Drowzee to use another move, Pitters pecked him hard one last time, finishing the battle.

"Alright, Pitters! You did it!" I cheered as Pitters proudly flew back to me.

"Yo, for real?" B gasped as he called back his Drowzee, "You best stop trying to act hard, kid!" Turning to his companion, he continued to complain. "Yo, I'm so annoyed right now, homie! Let's go mess with Ilima again!

The other grunt nodded in agreement. "Aww yeah, let's do it! Verdant Cavern's close by, anyways." As they chuckled, he seemed to remember that I was still there and glared at me. "You best listen to what my boy here says and drill it into that thick skull of yours! For real! You better not forget it, numbskull!" The two of them dashed off, nearly tripping over their own feet.

"You did well battling those two Skull punks," the berry man praised as he walked up to me. "You and your Pokemon were in complete sync."

"R-really?" I asked incredulously. We had won the battle, but I didn't think we did _that_ well.

"Of course!" the man confirmed. "You battled as if you have been a Trainer for a very long time." He pulled out a small bag and handed it to me. "Take this. The berries in here can help heal your Pokemon as well as you or your companion if any of you are afflicted with an ailment. Thank you again for your help. Now, you two should probably continue with your challenge, hm? Verdant Cavern isn't much farther, perhaps just a couple hours."

"Thank you very much, sir!" I said as I gratefully took the berries and put them in my bag. "We'll be on our way."

* * *

As the man said, we reached Verdant Cavern within about two and a half hours. The cave had a gate around it that looked almost exactly like my island challenge charm. Across from it was a Pokemon Center, likely put there for the challengers that make their way out there for the trial.

"Why don't we stop by the Pokemon Center before you start your trial, Alani?" Lillie suggested. "Pueo and Pitters could use a short refresher, and it would probably be a good idea to have lunch at the cafe."

"Sounds good," I agreed. "Let's go inside."

We started to turn towards the Pokemon Center, but we had hardly taken a few steps when a jet of fire appeared in front of us. Lillie and I had to scramble backwards to avoid being seared by the sudden flames. Once they dissipated, we saw the source of the attack: it was a small Growlithe sitting on the pathway staring at us. It snickered, then ran into the nearby grass.

"W-what in the world was that?" Lillie stammered in shock.

"That was Growlithe, the Puppy Pokemon, bzzrt!" Rotom said as it popped out of my bag again. "It may look cute, but it'zzz well-known to be territorial, and will chase anything out of its territory, even if it has to chase it out of town. Perhaps thizzz one is doing just that."

"I'm not sure," I replied. "If it was, wouldn't it of chased us? Maybe someone in the Pokemon Center knows something about this."

Once we got inside, I left my Pokemon with Nurse Joy, then we went over to the cafe. A familiar bubbly boy was ordering a drink, and was ecstatic once he turned around and saw us heading his way.

"Hey, Alani, Lillie! So you two finally made it out here, huh?" Hau grinned as we went to order some food and drinks. "Hope you two didn't run into too much trouble on your way!"

"I don't think there were too many problems on our way," I said after I had finished ordering. "Although, we did have a run-in with some people from Team Skull at the berry farm."

"Alani and her Pokemon did an amazing job at fighting them off, though," Lillie added. "She and her team are getting to be really strong."

"Ah, sorry to hear about the Skull people," Hau said sympathetically, "but it's cool that you're becoming stronger with your team!" After he finished speaking, Hau and I were called over to get our Pokemon. We walked over and collected our very happy teams from the front desk. We went back to the cafe, where Lillie was waiting with what we ordered.

"So, aside from that battle you mentioned," Hau continued as the three of us sat down at a table with our Pokemon, "was there anything else cool that happened?"

"Well," Lillie began, "right before we got in here, we were attacked by a Growlithe. It appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared just as quickly."

"Oh, I know about that Growlithe!" Hau said as his face lit up. Tarin had the same look, aside from the extra bit of fish in his mouth.

"Is there a reason why it did that?" I asked.

"Nah, not really." Hau took a bite of his sandwich and rubbed Tarin's head. "That's Growlithe's famous around here for causing mischief. It'll just blow fire at tourists and chase them for no reason. It looks like it's just having fun, but it's been deemed a bit of a safety hazard. This Pokemon Center's offered a reward for anyone who can catch it, but so far, no one's been able to. It runs away just before anyone can throw a Pokeball. But I plan on being the one to befriend it!" Hau did a small fist-pump, and his Pokemon did the same.

"Not if I catch it first!" I exclaimed with a grin. That Growlithe looked really strong, and aside from that, I really needed a Pokemon on my team that wasn't a flying-type.

"Oh, it's on!" Hau said, leaning across the table. "Let's do this!"

* * *

"Nebby, please, get in the bag! You know what could happen if someone sees you!"

For what had to have been at least the fifth time that day, Lillie was arguing with Nebby about going into her bag. Nebby continued to dance around us, blatantly refusing to go into the confined space.

"Heh, looks like Nebby's having fun!" Hau laughed as he watched the small Pokemon run away from Lillie.

"Maybe, but it's dangerous for Nebby to be out for too long," Lillie huffed as she finally caught the Pokemon. "Nebby doesn't know how to battle, and something bad could happen if someone sees it!" She stuffed the wiggling Pokemon back into her bag, where it calmed down and fell asleep, and looked at us. "Alright, I'm ready now. Sorry to make you two wait."

"It's alright, Lillie," I said. "We're not in a rush."

"But we are racing against each other!" Hau beamed. "I just didn't want to have an unfair advantage. Now that we're all ready, I'm off!" Hau shoved the rest of his malasada in his mouth and dashed off into the grass.

"We'd better get going, too," I giggled. "There's no way I'm letting Hau beat me!"

We searched the grasses for several hours. Pueo and Pitters got in a great training session with the Pokemon that we came across once I convinced Lillie to not use too many Repels, but we still couldn't find the Growlithe from earlier.

"Maybe Hau already found it..." I sighed dejectedly. Just before I could call off our search, however, a bark resounded from behind me. I paused for a moment, and when I turned around, Growlithe was looking at me with a lopsided grin.

"Ah! There you are!" I exclaimed, sending out Pitters to battle it. Pitters apparently had other plans, because instead of attacking Growlithe, she flew up to it and started chirping. Growlithe nodded and then barked again, continuing their conversation.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Lillie thought out loud.

Rotom flew out of my bag again. "Pitters is telling Growlithe about Alani, zrrt! Seemzzz like she's trying to convince him to join you on your journey!"

Pitters looked back at Rotom, then chirped at Growlithe again. He boofed, then walked over to me and Lillie with Pitters perched on his head. He sat down and looked at me expectantly.

"Are...are you joining me, Growlithe?" I asked. Growlithe barked and nodded, and Pitters gave a happy chirp as she flew onto my shoulder. I smiled. I didn't even have to battle Growlithe; he was willingly joining me, thanks to Pitters. I pulled out a Pokeball and held it out to Growlithe. He pushed his nose against it and was sucked into the ball. A few seconds later, the Pokeball made a clicking sound, and Growlithe was mine.

"Sweet!" I said as I released my new travel companion. Pueo came out of his Pokeball to greet Growlithe, and Nebby suddenly appeared to play with them, much to Lillie's initial chagrin.

Lillie smiled as she watched our Pokemon play in the grass. "So, have you thought of a nickname for Growlithe? It only seems right for him to have one, considering the rest of your team has one."

I hummed as I watched the Pokemon. "I haven't thought about it too much. Maybe... Hey, Growlithe!" Once I had the Pokemon's attention, I continued. "Would you mind if I called you Puppers?" Growlithe wagged his tail and barked gleefully, then went back to playing. I smiled. "Well, Puppers it is."

"Alani, Lillie!" Hau called as he approached us, "Have you two found Grow-is that it playing with your Pokemon?" Hau stopped running at us and looked at the Pokemon that were bouncing around.

"Yep," I confirmed, "that's him. Hey, Puppers, this is Hau! Wanna meet him?" At my call, Puppers bounded over and barked at Hau, Pueo and Pitters not far behind. Hau laughed as he reached down to pet Puppers.

"Well, looks like you beat me, Alani!" Hau said. "Dang, you really are good at this! Anyways, we should stop by the Pokemon Center so that you can heal your Pokemon and get that reward!"

We went back to the Pokemon Center while trying to avoid tripping over Puppers. When we walked in, Nurse Joy looked surprised.

"Is that the Growlithe that's been causing us so much trouble?" she asked. Puppers barked at her and gave her an innocent-looking smile.

"He sure is!" Hau said. "And Alani here is the one who caught him!"

Nurse Joy looked at me. "Thank you very much, miss. That Growlithe was only trying to have fun, but it was becoming incredibly dangerous to people. I'll go get your reward." She walked to the back room, then returned a few moments later with a small amount of cash. "Here you go! You really have done us a huge service. Now, would you like your Pokemon to be healed? I'd imagine that you'll be heading to the trial site after this."

"Yes, please!" I said. Pueo and Pitters flew onto the desk while Puppers jumped onto it. Tarin and Chuchino joined them on the desk. Nurse Joy smiled, then led them all to the back room to be healed.

"So, what are you going to do, Hau? Are going to start the trial now?" I asked. Hau had never mentioned if he intended on blazing through the challenge, or if he was just enjoying the journey and doing things at his own pace.

"Eh, I think I'm going to train a bit more," Hau said as he stretched. "I want to make sure my team's ready for the trial. I'll probably go for it tomorrow. You should try it now, though, Alani. Your team's more than up for the challenge, I just know it!"

"Alani and Hau! Your Pokemon are ready to go!" Nurse Joy said as she walked over with our Pokemon. They quickly made their way to us, and I was soon covered in bundles of feathers and fur. I returned them to their Pokeballs and stood back up.

"Alright, you ready to go, Lillie?" I asked as I brushed myself off.

"Ah, about that," Lillie hesitantly said. "Only trialgoers are allowed to enter the trial sites. I'll wait here while you go through the trial."

"Oh." I didn't realize that I'd be going through the trial on my own. Suddenly, the aspect of going into a dark cave was very scary. I shook the thought from my mind. I wasn't going to be alone. I had my team with me. Together, nothing could stop us.

"I'll hang out here with Lillie." Hau had returned his Pokemon to their Pokeballs and joined in on the conversation. "You go and clear that trial, Alani! Best of luck to you!"

"Thanks!" I smiled as I walked out of the Pokemon Center. It was getting fairly dark out. Dusk was slowly enveloping the world, and the stars were faintly glimmering in the sky. I looked at the moon, then, taking a deep breath, I walked through the trial gate into the cave.

* * *

 **Yeah, I'm still not the best at figuring out when to start or end chapters. I should get better as time goes on, but until then, events are just gonna get clumped up it what may seem like random ways! :D**

 **Hope ya'll had a better week than I did, and here's to hoping this week will be a good one!**


	7. Rats Off to You

**Annnnd I'm back! Boy, life just seems to be out to get me lately. Been so busy and stressed that my memory's starting to go down the drain. Again. Kinda annoying, but I'll live. Also, I just noticed my story was added to a community? Whaat? So cool! Thanks, guys! Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Verdant Cavern wasn't nearly as dark as I thought it would be. The moss in it seemed to practically glow and illuminate the dark. Small rays of moonlight broke through the ceiling as well. The skittering of Pokemon could be heard echoing throughout the cavern, giving it a dreamlike atmosphere. As I approached an open area, I saw Ilima looking at me.

"Ah, Alani, there you are!" Ilima greeted me. "Welcome to the Verdant Carvern Trial. It isn't overly complicated, so it should be perfect for your first trial. I'll explain to you what you have to do." The moment the words left his mouth, a dark Pokemon dashed behind him, making me jump in surprise. It raced off into a nearby hole, eyes glimmering in the darkness. "What you just saw is a Pokemon that is a part of this trial. All you have to do is find and defeat the three Rattata hiding in holes such as the one next to me. Once you manage to do this, head to the back of the cavern and claim the Z-Crystal you'll find there!"

"Ok," I said, "seems easy enough."

"One last thing before you set off." Ilima stopped me before I could go battle the Rattata. "This may be a late warning, but once you go through the trial gate, you can't leave the site until you complete the challenge."

"What?"

"It's the rule for all of the trials. Trials are supposed to test you and your Pokemon's power, and leaving and coming back can be seen as cheating. I'm sure you and your Pokemon will do fine, though."

"Alright. Thanks for letting me know." I set off for the hole that the Rattata hid in. Once I got near it, it leapt out, and it looked absolutely nothing like what I was expecting. This Rattata was not purple or on all fours; instead, it was black with fluffy whiskers, and it stood on its hind legs. I had never seen a Rattata like this one.

"Ok, Puppers, show it who's boss!" I shouted as I sent out my newest team member. Puppers growled at his foe and barked ferociously, preparing for battle. The battle wasn't very long. The Rattata may have looked like it was in the top percentage, but it wasn't strong enough to beat Puppers. He swiftly beat it with a few Embers, and we continued along the path.

The next Rattata ambushed us as we passed a large mossy rock. Puppers still beat it, but he ended up getting hurt a bit more than last time due to the surprise attack. I called him back into his Pokeball to rest, then hesitantly crossed the plank in front of me. Once I was across, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, then continued to the next hole. As I approached, the eyes that were staring at me vanished, and when I grabbed a long stick and prodded around, the Rattata was gone. I heard scuffling on the ledge above me, so I went to investigate. The instant I got there, the eyes vanished again, and I could hear scuffling somewhere to the left.

"You have got to be kidding me," I groaned as I chased the sound. Just like the other times, the Pokemon vanished, only for scuffling sounds to come from the first hold I checked. Once I crossed the bridge again, I started to think about how I could corner this Pokemon when my thoughts were interrupted by people approaching me.

"Yo, yo, yo! Look who it is!" a Skull grunt sneered as they approached me. "It's the squirt from before! Come to take on this trial, eh?"

I gave them a blank stare. I really was getting tired of running into these two. I had gotten even stronger since the berry fields, and I doubted they had. While it was somewhat more intimidating meeting them on my own, I knew I could hold my own against them.

When I didn't respond, they looked somewhat offended. "What, do you not recognize us just because we switched places?" the other grunt questioned. "Sheesh! Fine, how about this?" They swapped spots, but they looked almost the same, so it didn't make much of a difference to me. "So, 'B and I are here to mess up your trial, yo! We got you this time! Go, Zubat!"

I sighed as I sent out Puppers to deal with the bat. Would these two ever learn? Puppers took down Zubat with just a couple of Tackles, leaving a panicking Skull grunt to return his Pokemon.

"Yo, nevermind, bro!" the grunt stammered, "This girl ain't just strong-she's straight-up dangerous! Battling her won't get us anywhere!"

"How about we mess her up in a different way?" B suggested. "We could capture the last Pokemon instead."

"Aw yeah, I like the sound of that!"

"What are you two even going to get from messing up my trial?" I asked. I couldn't understand what they had to gain from it at all.

"Well, uh..." the first grunt mumbled as he tried to come up with an excuse. His eyes searched the cavern, as if it would give him the answer. "...Things. Yeah, really good things. Now, we got a Pokemon to capture! Peace out, yo!" The two ran off, but the one who was just talking came back hardly a minute later. "Yo, there's a wicked-tough Pokemon at the end of this trial, yo! If I were you, I'd get outta here while I still can!" He ran off again, finally leaving me to use a Potion on Puppers in peace.

"Man, I have no idea what those people are trying to do," I complained. "Do you have any clue, Puppers?" He huffed and shook his head, signaling that he also had no idea what those two were doing. "Yeah, I didn't think so. They're trying to act tough, but it doesn't seem to be working for them." Looking around, I saw that the grunts were investigating two of the holes from earlier, forcing the Rattata to remain in the remaining one. A smile found its way onto my face. This was our chance. Puppers and I made our way over to the hole. The Pokemon leapt out at us, but it was not what I expected.

"Thaaat's not a Rattata!" I yelped as I stumbled away from the Pokemon.

"It's an Alolan Raticate!" Rotom offered after hopping out of my bag again. "These guys are gourmet eaters, but they still pack quite the punch, zrrt! Like Alolan Rattata, they're Normal- and Dark-types, so I'm going back into the bag before I get hit by a dark-type move!"

Recovering from my initial shock, I refocused on the battle. "Puppers, use Ember!" Puppers shot out flames at the Raticate. It took the move head-on, then charged at Puppers and bit down on his front left leg. Puppers yelped in pain, then proceeded to blast the wild Pokemon with flames again. It let go, and he hopped away.

"Puppers, are you ok?" I worriedly asked. Puppers nodded his head and barked. "Alright, use Ember one last time!" Puppers did as I told, and the Raticate fell over, unconscious.

"Thank you, Puppers!" I said as I walked over to my injured Pokemon. He was avoiding putting too much pressure on his paw, and he kept glancing at it with a concerned expression. I pulled out a strip of cloth, a Potion, and some Oran berries from my bag. "I don't have a whole lot of supplies to heal this," I said as I sprayed and wrapped up his leg, "but this should help a little bit, and the berries should give you some energy. You should take a rest, too, since you worked so hard for me. Pueo and Pitters can handle anything else that might come our way." After he finished the berries, Puppers licked my face, covering me with saliva and berry juice. I laughed and returned him to his Pokeball.

I made my way to the back of the cavern, just as Ilima told me to do. It opened up to the night sky. It had gotten really late while I was in the cave. The moon and stars stood out in stark contrast to the blackness of the sky. Looking back down, I saw a pedestal near the back wall. A crystal was glimmering within it. Smiling with pride at having completed the trial, I walked up to the pedestal to claim the Z-Crystal. A few steps away from it, I froze. I felt eyes boring holes into my head. A power I hadn't felt before seemed to strike fear into my heart. The air above me whipped around as something jumped off of the cliff. It landed with a heavy thud right behind me. Terrified of what I might find, I forced myself to turn around. A Raticate loomed over me, staring into my soul. It screeched, and I quickly ran away from it. Was this the Pokemon the Skull grunt warned me about? It seemed like it. The Pokemon was slightly taller than me, and it had a strong aura about it. Hands shaking, I pulled out Pueo's Pokeball and readied myself to overcome this trial.

"Let's do this, Pueo," I whispered as I sent him out. Pueo looked at the Raticate, then at me, then back at the Raticate. He let out a small hoot, then took to the air. "U-use Leafage!" Pueo released a series of sharp leaves at the opposing Raticate. It winced as the leaves pierced through its fluffy coat, then ran up and used Tackle on Pueo. Pueo was knocked all the way back to me from the force of the impact. I had to catch him, and we ended up falling over from the momentum.

The battle was already difficult, but we had yet to see the worst of it. The Raticate let out a loud screech, and a small swarm of Rattata came to its aid. Fright took hold of us as we looked at the odds. It was practically five on one now. The most I could do to even it out was to send out Pitters. I couldn't even send out Puppers because of his injured leg.

Picking myself up, I stood my ground with Pueo and Pitters as we faced the onslaught of rats. Following my directions, Pueo and Pitters took turns battling Raticate and the Rattata. We made some progress, but there was only so much two small birds could do against a swarm such as this, and all of us started to take more hits from the wild Pokemon.

"What should we do...?" I muttered. "There's too many of them, and we're not strong enough to fend them off for much longer..." A bright light suddenly emanated from Pueo. Squinting, I tried to see what was happening. Pueo seemed to grow in size, and once the light was gone, a new, taller owl stood where my small one once was.

"Bzzrt! Congratulations, Alani!" Rotom's muffled voice came from my bag. "Looks like Pueo's evolved into a Dartrix! What great timing! He'zzz even stronger now than when he was a Rowlet!"

"Cool!" I exclaimed. Maybe we stood a chance against this swarm after all. "Ok, Pueo, use Peck on Raticate!" Pueo rushed up to the Pokemon and pecked it several times. When he flew back, he was holding a Sitrus berry that Raticate was apparently holding. I hadn't even noticed it in the rat's paws. Pueo quickly ate half of the berry and gave the other half to Pitters, who gratefully scarfed it down.

While my Pokemon shared the stolen berry, Raticate squealed in shock. It narrowed its eyes and started to run right at us. It opened its mouth to bite us, and we had to scramble out of the way of its gaping jaws.

"Pueo, Leafage! Pitters, Rock Smash! Aim for Raticate!" I commanded. My Pokemon obeyed, unleashing a devastating assault on Raticate. Pueo's Leafage seemed to develop into more of a Razor Leaf, delivering deep cuts to the overgrown rat and its companions. Pitters made a beeline for Raticate shortly after Pueo's attack. She slammed into its face at full speed, knocking it onto the ground. The Rattata stopped attacking and stared at their leader. When it didn't get back up, they started to panic. Some of them fled, while others stood wide-eyed in shock.

Staring at the unconscious Raticate like some of the Rattata were doing, a smile formed on my face. "We did it. We actually did it," I said breathlessly. Pitters was dancing in joy, while Pueo was busy dusting himself off. I laughed at how Pueo was more focused on cleaning himself off than the fact that we overcame an incredibly difficult battle.

"Well done, Alani!" Ilima's voice broke the calm air as he approached us. "You managed to beat the Totem Pokemon! Your trial is complete. That Z-Crystal on the pedestal belongs to you now.

"Is that why that Raticate's so big?" I asked as I eyed the knocked-out Pokemon. "It's a 'Totem' Pokemon?"

"Indeed. Each trial has a Totem Pokemon at the end of it. Totem Pokemon are much larger and far stronger than ordinary Pokemon of the same species, and therefore are quite the challenge to defeat!"

As I processed the new information, I walked over to the glimmering crystal. It seemed like any ordinary gem, aside from the strange symbol within it. The crystal gave off a strange warmth and power as it rested in my hand. I turned around and looked back at Ilima, who seemed to have something to say.

"That is Normalium Z," Ilima stated. "It can power up any Normal-type move to unleash a Pokemon's full potential in what's known as a Z-Move. To activate it, you'll need to attach the crystal to your Z-Ring, then once you strike a pose such as this one-" Ilima proceeded to preform a strange dance, ending with his arms forming a Z- "your Pokemon will be able to pull off its Z-Move. Breakneck Blitz is the Z-Move of Normalium Z. Z-Moves take up a lot of energy from both Trainer and Pokemon, however, so you can only use it once per battle."

"Alright, that's good to know," I replied, staring at the crystal in my hand.

"Also, I'm guessing you were surprised that Raticate called for help," Ilima asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. When I nodded, he continued. "Yes, calling for help is a tactic Pokemon use quite often in Alola. It's rarely seen anywhere else. Perhaps the Pokemon of Alola are simply more inclined to help one another than Pokemon in other regions?" Ilima shrugged. "Anyways, since you've finished your trial, why don't we head out? I'm sure your friends are waiting to hear the good news." I nodded in agreement, and we headed for the cave's exit.

* * *

As we left the cave, I could see Lillie, Hau, and, surprisingly enough, Kukui, waiting for me in front of the trial gates. I held up the Normalium Z in triumph, and Hau started jumping once he saw it.

"Looks like you've completed the trial, oh yeah!" Kukui remarked once we were closer. "I knew you could do it, Alani!"

"Congratulations, Alani!" Lillie said happily. Nebby shuffled around in her bag and made 'pew' sounds, so she had to cut herself short and settle it down again.

"Woo, yeah! I bet your battle against the Totem Pokemon was totally epic!" Hau cheered.

I was surprised that Hau already knew about the Pokemon at the end of the trial. "Wait, you know about the Totem Pokemon?"

"Of course! Everyone knows that-" Hau cut himself off as he realized something. "Oh, wait, you only arrived in Alola a few days ago, huh? Guess the Totem Pokemon came as a bit of a shock to you. Oops!"

"Well, Alani still managed to beat it, yeah, and that's what's important right now, oh yeah!" Kukui said. "This means that you now have the right to start the grand trial and challenge the kahuna to a battle, oh yeah!"

"That's correct," Ilima hummed. "Though, you may want to train for the battle. While your Pokemon will have the type advantage, Kahuna Hala is no pushover."

"Alright. I'll make sure to train up before I get back to Iki Town," I said. "For now, I think I'll stay the night at the Pokemon Center. It's getting pretty late."

"That sounds good," Lillie spoke up once she calmed Nebby down. "I'm sure you and your team will appreciate a good night's sleep."

"Then we can set off again in the morning, oh yeah!" Kukui grinned. "You guys head on over to the Pokemon Center, yeah. I'm going to study some more moves! Woo!" He raced off into the tall grass before any of us could even say goodnight.

"Oh dear," Lillie sighed. "I really hope he doesn't tear up his lab coat while he's doing this. I'm still no good at mending clothes."

"Eh, I'm sure he'll be fine!" Hau laughed. "Let's go get some rest. Alani's gotta train tomorrow, and I need to have plenty of energy to take on the trial myself!" After we said our goodbyes to Ilima, we headed back to the Pokemon Center to heal up and rest.

* * *

 **I tried :D**

 **Dartrix can't learn pluck until level 24, but screw it. For the sake of how I wrote this chapter before realizing that little fact, Pueo just went off and learned it early. I've been trying to keep everything else like this in check in future chapters, but I'll probably end up slipping every once in awhile.**

 **Feel free to leave a review! See ya'll next week!**


	8. A Day at the Meadow

**What's up, my dudes? Hope life's been good to ya. I've had a crazy amount of stuff to do in the past month alone-band, homework, honors program applications, band, a bit of sports, college interviews, band, theatre, did I mention band? I haven't had time to do a whole lot outside of keeping my grades up and practicing my instrument. And with the Nintendo Switch coming out soon... I'm gonna be a total wreck. Lol. Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Lillie was nowhere in sight when I woke up. Her bed was made and her bag was gone. The only sign that she was even there at all was a small note laying on her bed. Yawning, I stood up and read the note.

 _Alani,_

 _Nebby wanted to go somewhere, and I couldn't get it to go back to sleep, so I decided to go for a walk with it. We should hopefully be back before you wake up, but I wrote this just in case I'm wrong. I don't think we'll be straying too far from the Pokemon Center, so if we're not back at a decent hour, you should look around the area._

 _-Lillie_

I took a look at the clock. It read 7:20. Lillie didn't write down what time she had left, so I figured I should ask Nurse Joy if she happened to know when Lillie left.

Once I was ready, I went up the the front desk and asked about Lillie. Nurse Joy told me that she had left about two hours prior to me asking. I thanked her, then went to the cafe and joined Hau and Kukui for breakfast.

"Heya, Alani!" Hau greeted me. "Is Lillie still sleeping?"

Before I could even open my mouth to respond, Kukui started talking. "Doubt it! I saw her earlier this morning on a walk, yeah. I was going to ask her where she was going, yeah, but I got caught up in my research, so I forgot." Kukui did look fairly disheveled. His lab coat was tattered at the bottom and singed in several places. Small, errant burs were attached all over his lab coat, making it seem even more like he stayed outside the entire night.

"Um, Kukui? You didn't spend the /whole/ night outside, did you?" I tentatively asked.

"Well, of course I did, yeah!" Kukui cheerfully answered. "It's the best way to research the moves of nocturnal Pokemon, yeah, and besides, Melemele Island has some great weather at night, oh yeah!"

Hau and I stopped eating and looked at Kukui with a slightly concerned expression. Our Pokemon mimicked. "A-anyways," I said. "I'm going to go look for Lillie after my team and I are done eating. It's been a couple hours since she left, apparently."

"Really?" Hau asked. "Huh. Wonder what's keeping her out there for so long. Well, you should probably bring her something from the cafe, just in case she forgot to have breakfast or something."

"That's a good idea, Hau!" Kukui agreed. "Maybe get her a breakfast sandwich or something, yeah, and some nice PokeSnacks for Nebby, oh yeah! She might be around Melemele Meadow. The place does have a peaceful air to it, and I'd imagine she'd enjoy looking at the flowers there, yeah."

"Ok," I said as I stood up to go get a sandwich for Lillie. "Thanks for the tip, professor. And, good luck with your trial, Hau!"

* * *

I finally set off along Route 3. The morning sun provided a calming warmth, embracing everything it touched. A few Trainers were scattered about the rocky path, eager to do battle with other Trainers. I ended up being dragged into several battles that I wasn't looking for, but in the end, they were great training opportunities for my team. Puppers and Pitters battled as usual, but, for the first time, I had a small amount of trouble with Pueo.

Pueo wasn't acting like how he did as a Rowlet. He was getting incredibly cocky and kept trying to preen himself in the middle of battle. It was becoming nearly impossible for me to endure.

Eventually, I reached the sign for Melemele Meadow. Yellow flower petals danced in the air out of the cave, a sweet scent following in their wake. Curious, I entered the cave. It opened up to a shock of yellow. The flowers blanketed the entire area, creating waving seas of flowers. At the edge of one of the few bare rocks was Lillie, desperately peering out into the yellow.

"Nebby, please, come back here!" Lillie shouted. "What if someone sees you up there, or worse, you get attacked by a Pokemon?" The only response she got was a very quiet pew from the top of the cliff.

"Nebby got out of the bag again, huh," I announced.

Lillie gasped and whipped around to look at me, her eyes wide with fear. Once she recognized me, she settled down a bit and explained what was going on. "Yes... While we were on our walk, it decided to run off into the flowers, and I'm out of Repels... Alani, could you go get Nebby for me?"

"Sure thing," I said. I pulled out the sandwich and PokeSnacks from my bag and handed it to her. "By the way, I got these for you and Nebby in case you two hadn't eaten yet." Lillie thanked me, and I set off into the flowers. The instant I walked into them, I was engulfed, making me shout a bit. The slope went deeper than it looked. I hadn't expected the flowers to be taller than me. Slowly but surely, I made my way to the other side of the meadow.

The cliff where Nebby's cry came from was much higher up than I though it was. The pathway up the side of the meadow was incredibly steep, and the higher up I went, the more nervous I became. Why did Nebby have to go all the way to the top? Sure, there was probably a nice view from the top, but this was getting ridiculous.

Once I reached the top, I found Nebby parading through the flowers. For such a small Pokemon, it could cause a whole lot of trouble!

"There you are," I said as I approached Nebby. "Look, it's dangerous to be up here, so could you go back down to Lillie now?"

Nebby looked at me incredulously. It pewed, then started to dance around me.

"Nebby, come on," I sighed. "This could actually end up being serious!"

As if to prove my point, a yellow bird with pom-poms ran up to us and eyed Nebby. It only looked curious, but I wasn't willing to take any risks.

"Pitters, come on out!" I said as I threw Pitters' Pokeball. Pitters gracefully landed in front of me. The yellow bird cheeped at Pitters and hopped around. Pitters gave the bird an odd glance, then chirped at me. Rotom flew out in response to her call.

"Zrrt! That's an Oricorio!" Rotom explained to us. "This Pokemon is capable of changing forms based on the nectar it drinks! The flowerzzz in Melemele Meadow all have yellow nectar, so this one is an electric and flying-type! Looks like this Oricorio wants to play!"

"Play?" I questioned. "Play as in battle or play as in actually playing?"

Pitters figured it out sooner than I did. She hopped over to Oricorio, who cheered and began to hop around as well. Nebby joined in on the fun, floating alongside the two birds. Watching the Pokemon play could have melted the heart of even the coldest person. Just as suddenly as Oricorio appeared, two more slightly larger Oricorio came out of the flowers. They chirped at the one that was playing with my and Lillie's Pokemon, and it took on a sad appearance. It hugged Pitters and Nebby one last time before running off with the other birds.

"Guess those were its parents telling it to come home, huh?" I stated as the rustle of flowers became farther and farther away. "Well, that didn't turn out the way I thought it was going to, but everything's still alright!" Pitters looked at me and started to glow. Getting over my shock, I realized that she was evolving, just like Pueo had done the day before. Her height practically doubled, and, amongst various other changes, her beak went from a dull grey to a bright orange and red. I wasn't expecting Pitters to evolve after playing, of all things. I never read anything about Pokemon evolving after anything other than a battle or coming in contact with a specific item or place. Yet, right in front of me was something that contradicted everything I knew.

"Pitters evolved into a Trumbeak!" Rotom announced. "Trumbeak specializzze in bending their beaks to produce a huge variety of calls, though this skill often pegs them as a nuisance to populated areas, bzzt!"

Pitters nodded, then showed off her new skill by producing trumpet-like noises and playing a short tune. The tune sounded like it should be played somewhere full of adventure and water, but with more cities and towns than Alola, such as the Hoenn region.

"That's really cool!" I praised. "I'm glad to see you've gotten so strong, Pitters!" Putting my hands on my hips, I turned and addressed the mysterious galaxy puff at my side. "Ok, I think it's about time we get you back to Lillie. She's really about you, you know!" I held Nebby in my arms as we began our descent.

Getting Nebby took much longer than I had expected; the sun was nearly at its peak by the time we were back on the ground. As I waded through the sea of flowers, I took the opportunity to take a closer look at Nebby. It was like a living galaxy. Small, star-like lights glimmered and swirled within its gaseous body. The sight was transfixing. It was as if someone could be pulled into another world if they peered too deeply into Nebby's body.

We eventually made our way back to Lillie. She was sitting by the meadow's entrance, nervously tapping her fingers and staring at the ground in front of her. Her eyes eventually flickered towards us, and she jumped up in excitement. "Oh, is that Pitters? She evolved! Amazing! And you brought Nebby back, too. Thank you, Alani!"

Nebby leapt from my arms and waltzed over to Lillie with a cheeky grin. Lillie pouted. "You've been causing so much trouble, Nebby!" she chastised. "If it weren't for Alani, who knows what could have happened to you by now!" Nebby deflated a bit and let out a somber pew. Seeing this, Lillie's expression softened. "Well, I suppose I can't blame you for wanting to run around," Lillie said. "It must be rather cramped in my bag. It's the only way to keep you safe, though, so please understand." Nebby pewed once again, this time somewhat happier, and then hopped into Lillie's bag.

I returned Pitters to her Pokeball. "Are you two ready to go?" I asked once Lillie closed her bag.

Lillie nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry to make you worry about me. Let's go."

* * *

Once we were out of the meadow, Hau ran up to us. He had a huge grin on his face as usual, but he also happened to be waving a Normalium Z-Crystal at us.

"You completed the trial!" I cheered. "Great job, Hau!"

"Haha, thanks! It was a lot of fun!" Hau laughed. "That Totem Gumshoos was something else! But I bet you weakened it during your battle against it, Alani."

I was thrown for a loop. "Gumshoos? What Pokemon is that? I didn't battle one of those. I battled a Raticate."

Hau's grin was replaced with a look of confusion as well. "Wait, so there's two Totem Pokemon then?"

"Oh, I think I read something about this," Lillie spoke up. "Verdant Cavern has different Pokemon that appear depending on the time of day; Yungoos during the day, and Rattata at night. The trial must also be affected by this, which is probably why Alani battled a Raticate while Hau battled a Gumshoos, the evolutions of those Pokemon."

"Ah, that would do it, alright." Hau's gaze drifted to me and grinned. "Hey, Alani! Let's have another battle to see who's stronger now!"

"Uh, alright," I hesitantly agreed. Lillie and I walked to one side of the cave opening while Hau ran to the other. We each sent out our first Pokemon for the battle. Hau had apparently evolved his Pichu since he set out a Pikachu to battle. Pueo and Chuchino looked at each other, ready for battle.

"Pueo! Use Razor Leaf!" I said as the battle started. Pueo hurled dozens of razor-sharp leaves straight at Chuchino. Chuchino had obviously gotten faster after evolving, hopping around most of the leaves with relative ease.

"Alright, Chuchino! Use Thundershock!" Hau shouted. Chuchino squeaked as he began to release the electricity he had stored in his cheek pouches. Pueo, instead of dodging the incoming attack, chose to fix his wing feathers, earning him a nasty shock as well as all of his feathers standing on end. He started to panic, flying around in circles while trying to fix his appearance.

"Pueo, come on!" I chastised. "Stop messing around. You can fix your feathers after the battle. Use Razor Leaf on Chuchino again!" My Pokemon wasn't really listening. He lazily threw a few leaves at Chuchino with one wing while he started preening the other one. I was getting extremely irritated. "Pueo! Stop it already! This is ridiculous! Can one evolution really change you so much?" Pueo only gave me a sideways glance as he started to preen his other wing.

"Umm..." Hau began. "Are you and Pueo getting along? It sure doesn't seem like it."

I ran my hand through my hair and groaned. "I don't know what happened. Ever since he evolved while battling Raticate, he's been acting incredibly weird-ah!" I was cut off as Pueo threw some leaves at me. They weren't sharp enough to cut me, but they still stung as they hit me.

Rotom popped out of my bag again and looked at me apologetically. "Bzzrt! I think I may have forgotten to tell you this when Pueo evolved. Dartrix are known for their incredibly snobbish personalities. They also care greatly about their appearance to the point that they'll stop battling if they get too ruffled up, zrrt! Until Pueo evolves into Decidueye, you'll have to work with him on not focusing on his looks during battle. Forming a closer bond should help, though the best way of doing that would be through battle, ironically enough, zzt..."

"I've read that, when given in certain amounts, PokeBeans can also help create a bond between Trainer and Pokemon." Lillie suggested. Both Pueo and Chuchino looked at her upon hearing PokeBeans, probably hoping to get some from her.

I looked at Pueo. "Well, I'll give it a shot. I really need Pueo to listen to me if I want to have a shot at beating Hala."

"Yeah, my gramps is way tough!" Hau said as he shifted to a more relaxed stance. "Pueo's probably got the strength to beat him, but he'll need to focus on the battle, not his feathers." Pueo sent Hau a nasty glare at that statement, though he didn't throw any leaves at him. Hau glanced at Pueo again, then looked at me. "Hey, ya know, there's this place called Ten Karat Hill just a little ways past the professor's place. I plan on heading over there to train my team. You wanna join me?"

"Thanks, Hau," I smiled in gratitude. "I think I will."

"Since it's very close to Professor Kukui's lab, I'll go with you as well," Lillie said.

"Alright!" Hau cheered. "We've got everyone going with us! Let's heal up our Pokemon real quick and get going!" Hau pulled out a couple Potions from his bag and hand me one. I thanked him and used it on Pueo, who seemed to have lightened up ever so slightly. A PokeBean made him even happier, and he started flying around me. I smiled a bit, then we set out for Ten Karat Hill.

* * *

 **And so another part appears where I deviate from the storyline a bit! I've been trying to get ahead on planning, and I have about half of Akala and some other future chapters mapped out, but my writing's been on hold a wee bit. I'm still working on writing the Grand Trial on Melemele. I'm almost done, but boy, am I having issues with it or what! Between homework and having no creative ideas, it's been a struggle. I think I'll be able to finish it in the next couple of weeks or so, though.**

 **Reviews are always appriciated, so long as you're not being a stuck-up jerk while writing them (believe it or not, thereis a difference between constructive criticism and just being a total butt)! Have an awesome week, everyone!**


	9. Ten Karats of Fun

**Hey hey hey, everyone! How's life been? It's been pretty crazy for me. Pranked a bunch of friends with these things at my school called Val-o-grams, AP Lit's gone a bit overboard with the homework (that's why I'm still awake at super early o'clock in the morning), calc's been, well, calc, and now I'm part of the set production crew for my school's spring play. But, I'm surviving, and that's what matters.**

 **I feel like there are some slightly ooc moments in this chapter, so sorry about those.**

* * *

After a couple of hours of walking and a lunch stop at Hau's house, we made it to Ten Karat Hill. It wasn't a green field with a pleasant breeze like I thought it'd be. Instead, it was a foreboding place with a dark and damp seashore cave as the access point. The shuffling and cries of wild Pokemon could be heard echoing throughout the cave. The noises only added to Lillie's paranoia of not using Repels, and she clung to my arm as if it were the only thing keeping her safe from being swarmed by Zubat.

"Did you know that Ten Karat Hill used to be an active volcano?" Hau asked, somewhat oblivious to Lillie's distress. "It became dormant a really long time ago, but it's still really cool that we're inside something that used to be a powerful force of nature. Like, this place probably wrecked the island and the people and Pokemon that lived on it so many times in the past!" Lillie's grip on my arm tightened ever so slightly.

"That's really neat Hau," I replied, taking a quick glance at Lillie. "So, uh, how's your training been going? I haven't seen you all that much lately."

Hau followed my gaze to a nervous Lillie and his eyes widened as he understood why I was suddenly changing the subject. "Oh, it's been going great! Tarin and Chuchino have gotten super strong. Tarin haven't evolved yet, but I'm sure he will soon. Maybe next time we battle, he'll have evolved and we can have an awesome battle!"

"I'm sure it will be a great battle," Lillie piped up as her death grip on my arm softened to a mildly terrified one.

As we made our way through the cave system, wild Pokemon went about their daily business, not at all fazed by our presence. Clouds of Zubat swirled in the upper reaches of the cave, while Alolan Diglett poked their whiskers out of the ground on occasion. A few Roggenrola would approach us on occasion looking for something, then waddle off in the opposite direction.

"Um, Hau? Are you sure this place is good for training?" I questioned. "All the Pokemon here seem to be relatively friendly."

"Well, that's applies mostly the Pokemon that live in the cave portion of Ten Karat Hill," Hau answered. "Once you get to the inner portion, you'll find more Pokemon that want to battle!"

Hau was right. The instant we step foot into the sunlight of Ten Karat Hill, some Spinda stumbled up to us, wanting to battle. Hau sent out Tarin while I sent out Puppers. Between the two of them, the hoard of Spinda were quickly defeated, and they stumbled off once again. With them gone, I had a moment to take in the view of the area. Ten Karat Hill had incredibly steep slopes covered in tall grass. Some of the slopes had strage chunks taken out of them, as if they were hit by an incredibly strong move. Despite being closed off by the sides of the old volcano, a gentle breeze drifted through the waving plants. It seemed generally peaceful, aside from the occasion sounds of a Pokemon battle.

We spent most of the afternoon training our Pokemon. Or, at the very least, Hau did. A large portion of my time was spent simply exploring with and Pueo, trying to develop a stronger bond with him so that he wouldn't flake out on me in battle again. Lillie explored with us, enthralled by the beauty of nature. It was worth it in the end. Pueo was starting to listen to me again, and he'd usually wait to preen until after the battle was over.

"Man, that was great!" Hau said once we gathered in the center of the field. "Tarin and Chuchino are a whole lot tougher now! How'd your training go, Alani?"

"It went pretty well," I replied. "I think Pueo and I have a shot at beating Hala now." Pueo did the equivalent of a hair toss and hooted proudly. He was back to his old self again, albeit slightly snobbier.

"Awesome!" Hau grinned.

"It really was," Lillie added. "They had a bit of a rocky start, but then they were working together perfectly! I hope someday-what's that?" Lillie pointed to something at the exit of the field. Hau and I turned to see what she was pointing at. A hoard of Diglett were surrounding a Rockruff. The Rockruff seemed annoyed at its situation, but it also seemed slightly scared, considering it had a huge type disadvantage against Diglett.

"Come on, Pueo," I said as I headed for the commotion. "Let's go see what's going on." Pueo took to the air and glided alongside me as we made our way over to the Pokemon. Once we were within range, it still wasn't clear what Rockruff had done to aggravate the Diglett. They were circling it and glaring, even growling on occasion as they closed in on their target. Rockruff glanced around for a way out, and its gaze landed on me. Its eyes pleaded for help, and I was urged to go and protect it.

"Pueo, use Razor Leaf on those Diglett!" I said. Pueo flew up to the circle of Pokemon and launched his leaves at the Diglett, switching their attention from the Rockruff to him. They tried in vain to reach Pueo to return the favor. Pueo stayed in the air and just out of reach, however, so none of them could land an attack.

Hau joined the fray. "Tarin, use Water Gun!" A jet of water blasted some of the Diglett, knocking out the one that received a direct hit.

Seeing us taking action, Rockruff gathered the courage to fight back as well. It managed to Tackle its way out of the circle and ran to my side. It looked up and me and barked before glaring at the Diglett.

The Diglett eyed us with suspicion. They outnumbered us, but we had Pokemon that had type advantages. One of them started squeaking, and the others squeaked back at it. They looked at us one last time, then burrowed away, deciding that battling us wasn't worth getting to Rockruff.

"Well, that was something," I huffed. Kneeling down, I peered at Rockruff. "Now, what the heck did you do to make those Diglett so mad?"

Rockruff wagged its tail and barked a few times. My bag buzzed, and Rotom popped out again. "Soundzzz like she accidentally stepped on one of their sensitive whizkers and they attacked. Though, she didn't bother to apologizzze, so she more or less brought it upon herself, bzzrt..." Rotom received a pointed look from Rockruff before she went back to looking at me. "I think Rockruff wantzzz to join you on your journey, Alani."

"Is that so?" I asked. Rockruff barked and ran in a few circles, ending her bout of excitement by jumping on me and rubbing me with the rocks on her neck. "Alright, alright," I laughed as I pulled out a Pokeball, "You can come along. But can you please stop rubbing me with your rocks? That kinda hurts!" Rockruff rolled off of me and butted her head against the Pokeball. She was sucked into it in a flash of red light. Once the ball stopped moving, I tossed it into the air, sending out my new companion again. Rockruff landed on the ground with a happy bark.

"What are you going to name Rockruff?" Lillie asked.

I hummed as I looked at Rockruff. "How about...Creampuff?" I received a strange look at first, but a few moments later, the Pokemon sitting in front of me wagged her tail and happily barked. "Alright, Creampuff it is!"

"Isn't that almost like if I were to name a Pokemon 'Malasada' though?" Hau said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Nah," I replied as I hugged Creampuff. "I named her based on her colors and cuteness, not because of a favorite food." I brushed myself off and addressed both Hau and Lillie. "I think it's a good time to head home. The sun's already setting, and I want my team to rest before we battle Hala."

"That would be best," Lillie agreed. "I'm sure Professor Kukui would like to know I'm ok as well."

"Alright," Hau grinned, "but I want to see you at Alani's battle against my gramps, Lillie! You need to be there to support her!"

"I-I suppose I can go," Lillie stuttered. "I'm still not very fond of seeing Pokemon getting hurt, but your battles seem to bring out a new energy in me, Alani."

I felt a light blush dust my cheeks. "I don't think they're all that special, but I'm glad you enjoy watching them. Now, let's get going."

* * *

"Welcome home, Alani!" my mom said as she and Mewy greeted me with a hug. "How's your island challenge been?"

"It's been going really well," I said once I was released. "I've cleared the Verdant Cavern trial, caught new Pokemon, and later, I'm going to battle Hala in the Grand Trial."

"That's wonderful, sweetie!" my mom smiled. She walked over to the kitchen, Mewy trailing behind her. "I'll go ahead and make dinner. For now, how about you and your team go rest? I'm sure you all are very tired."

"Ok," I said as I headed for my room. "Thanks, Mom."

I wanted to flop down on my bed right away, but I didn't want to just leave my Pokemon in their Pokeballs while I relaxed on a soft bed. Instead of giving in to my exhaustion, I went to my closet and gathered spare blankets and pillows for my Pokemon to sleep on. I had made a nice little pile next to my bed and went to grab one last blanket, but once I held it to my chest, the blanket let out a surprised squeak. I froze. There was something hiding in my blanket, and I had no clue what it was. It began to rustle, and I promptly dropped the bundle on my bed. A strange green head popped out of the blanket, and the creature stared at me with a strange-looking eye.

"Are you...a Pokemon?" I hesitantly asked, not really expecting an answer from it.

Rotom floated up to us and began circling the strange creature. "Hmm...the readings I'm getting indicate it's most certainly Pokemon-like, but it doezzzn't seem to match any of the known Pokemon in Alola, or even the world! I wonder what kind of Pokemon it could be, bzzt!"

"Well, it doesn't seem to be bad," I mused. "Maybe...should I catch it?" The Pokemon-like creature jolted in alarm and burrowed back under the covers, shaking in fear. "Ok, maybe not," I said as I saw how frightened it was. "But, what should I do with you? You don't seem like you belong anywhere around here, if what Rotom says is correct." I watched as the creature popped it head out of the blanket and wiggled its way off of the bed. It rolled over to me and nuzzled my leg. "So, you want to come with me on my island challenge, but you _don't_ want to be captured," I stated as I picked up the happy green blob. "I guess I can do that, at least until I figure out where you're supposed to be. Anyways, we were going to take a nap. I know you were probably just sleeping, but would you like to join us?" The Pokemon in my arms nodded and jumped into the mass of pillows and blankets. I sent out my team so that they could also enjoy the comfort of the pillow pile, then I plopped down on my bed to get some rest as well.

* * *

 **Hau may be a sunshine child, but he totally roasts people later on, so I figured "why not now?" Anyways, a new team member has appeared! And we also have the appearance of a mysterious squishy green Pokemon! Mysteries! Adventure! They await!...in later chapters.**

 **Speaking of chapters, there's only two left that take place consecutively in Melemele. Crazy, right? I honestly didn't think I'd get this far, and I'm pretty proud of myself for not dropping this story, despite everything that's been going on. I've been planning as far ahead as I can, and I currently have plans for about halfway through Akala and a few more future chapters. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid any more of those really bad writer's blocks as I try to get ahead on the Akala chapters.**

 **Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review or a question, and see ya'll next week!**


	10. The Grand Trial of Melemele!

**For once, I am up at nearly 1 in the morning by my own free will and not because of school. I blame the two hour nap I had earlier today.**

 **Aight, this one's a bit of a doozy. Longest one yet, and it's, of course, all battling, the thing I'm terrible at writing about. It's time for the grand trial!**

* * *

"I'm sorry I can't go watch your grand trial, Alani," my mom said as I headed for the door. "I really wish I could, but I can't request off from work so soon after starting, and on such short notice on top of that."

"It's alright, Mom," I say with a forgiving smile. "I understand. I'm gonna get going now so that it's not too late when I start." I headed out the door and started up the path to Iki Town.

"Bye, Alani!" my mom called from the porch. "You can do it!"

The night air was calming as I walked up the hill. Stars glittered above me, and deep blues and purples seemed to swirl about the sky. It reminded me a lot of the day I met Lillie and my adventure began. My mind drifted back to that day, which was not even a week ago. I never could have imagined how much my life would change in a single day. Before I left Kanto, I was nobody. I never did anything that set me apart from others. Despite having big dreams, I was afraid of standing out. Everything was different once I got Pueo as my partner. I was a bit braver. I've traveled without my mom. And there was still so much more for me to experience! With Pueo by my side, I could do anything.

I reached Iki Town fairly quickly. Smoke billowed from the torches along the path, but the stars shined brightly, regardless of the obstruction. My heart began to race as I thought of the battle waiting for me. We had trained most of the day for this moment, but that didn't stop me from being nervous. I had to win. After all, if I couldn't beat Hala now, I'd have to keep training here until I could, and I really didn't want to do that.

"Alani! There you are!" A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Hau ran up to me, buzzing with energy. "Looks like you and my gramps are gonna battle under the light of the moon and stars. This is gonna be so cool!" Hau paused as he suddenly noticed the green blob in my arms. "Huh? What's that Pokemon?"

"I'm not sure, actually," I admitted. "I found it sleeping in my closet. Rotom can't identify it. It didn't want to be caught, so it's still a wild Pokemon, but it wanted to join me for some reason. I'm calling it Nugget."

Hau rubbed the back of his neck. "Hmm. Well, so long as it doesn't cause too much trouble for you, that should be alright."

Looking past Hau, I saw that Kukui and Lillie were standing by the stairs leading to the main part of town. Kukui waved at me, then walked over as well.

"Alani! It's time for your grand trial to begin, oh yeah!" Kukui said as he pat me on the back. "I'm lookin' forward to seeing what moves you and your Pokemon will pour your soul into...now that you've gone and cleared your first trial, Alani!"

"It's true," Lillie chimed in as she approached. "You worked incredibly hard while we were traveling. I'm not a Trainer, so I'm sure I don't fully understand just how much effort you and you Pokemon put into this, but even I think it's a great achievement." Nebby pewed and shuffled in her bag, seconding her statement.

"The Melemele Island kahuna is strong, cousin!" Kukui informed me. "He's a Trainer who can use Fighting-type Pokemon to their fullest, yeah. Might not be a bad idea to work on those Flying- or Psychic-type moves!"

"Alright," I said. "Thanks for the advice. I guess I should head up there now. Lillie, could you hold on to Nugget for me?" After I explained how I came across Nugget, Lillie took it from me so that I could battle.

Hau, Lillie, and Kukui accompanied me on the way up to the stage where Hala waited. There were people gathered around, whispering and pointing at me. I took a deep breath to calm myself. Being at the center of attention wasn't a big favorite of mine, but I had to do this. I had to do this and win if I wanted to continue with my island challenge.

"Congratulations on clearing your trial in the Verdant Cavern," Hala greeted me as I stepped onto the platform. "Good work. Now, you think you and your Pokemon are ready for me, Alani?"

"I think so," I replied. "We'll find out soon enough."

Hala nodded. "Very well then. Allow me to properly greet young adventurers embarking on their island challenge. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Shall we begin? The final trial here on Melemele Island will be a battle against me, the kahuna! It is known as the grand trial!" Hala crossed his arms. "Well, Alani. You have been entrusted with the Sparkling Stone by Tapu Koko. Now show me you and your team's full power! Old Hala here will also be going all-out! Let the grand trial begin!" Hala pulled out an Ultra Ball and sent out a Mankey. It leered at me with determined eyes.

"Pitters, let's do this!" I said as I threw her Pokeball. Pitters spread her wings and let out a huge honk. "Ok, use Peck!" Pitters began to race towards Mankey, preparing to attack with her beak.

"Ikaika, dodge it and use Focus Energy!" Hala told his Mankey. Ikaika quickly leaped out of the way of the incoming attack and took a deep breath upon landing. When it open its eyes again, it glared at Pitters, ready to land a deadly hit at Hala's command. "Now use Pursuit!" Ikaika launched itself at Pitters, claws glowing with a dark energy. The attack landed, and I was forced to watch in shock as Pitters was knocked down by the strong attack.

"Blow it back with Echoed Voice!" I told Pitters. She took as deep a breath as she could, but instead of releasing a heavy sound wave, a high-pitch noise came out of her beak. Ikaika immediately stopped moving and stared at Pitters. Once it started to attack itself, I realized that Pitters had used Supersonic. She followed it up with the move I had originally told her to use, racking up the damage being inflicted on Ikaika.

Hala hummed. "This won't do, now will it? Ikaika, return!" Ikaika returned to its ball in a flash of red light. Hala pulled out a different Pokeball from his pocket. "Granador, go!" A Pokemon I recognized as a Makuhita landed on the stage with a heavy thud, grinning in anticipation of the battle.

"Pitters, use Supersonic!" Pitters let out another high-pitched sound at her new foe. Granador was faster than it seemed, however, and managed to jump out of the way of the attack.

"Use Fake Out!" Hala ordered. Granador ran up to Pitters and, before she could dodge the attack, it quickly hit both sides of her face, causing her to flinch back. "Follow it up with Arm Thrust!" Granador started pelting Pitters with strong punches. Thankfully, Pitters was part Flying-type, but I knew I still had to help her get out of there.

An idea formed in my mind. "Pitters, roll with the punches and then use Echoed Voice!" Pitters heeded my command, falling to the ground with the next attack. She then released her attack, sending Granador skidding back several feet. Pitters used her newfound space to take to the air, giving her leverage against her foe.

"Ho ho, very impressive!" Hala commended. "Having your Pokemon fall down to create space to move! Most new Trainers would not have thought of that." His eyes lit up in excitement, and he told his Pokemon what to do next. "Granador, grab some of that rubble and knock Pitters down!"

After hearing its Trainer's command, Granador rushed to the edge of the stage and picked up some of the various rocks and pieces of wood that were there. Using its full strength, it began to chuck the rubble at Pitters in an attempt to ground her.

"Dodge that trash and get in close to use Peck!" I told Pitters. She nodded in affirmation, then began to make her way towards Granador. She swooped and spun around the projectiles with the grace of a Swanna. Once she was close enough, she dove in for her attack, landing a strong blow on Granador.

"Don't give in, Granador!" Hala encouraged. "Use Arm Thrust once more!"

Wiping off a bit of sweat, Granador rushed at Pitters again. Pitters' attacks had done quite a number on it, however, and it was too slow to reach Pitters before she took off.

"Finish it with Peck!" I shouted. Pitters trilled and made a beeline for Granador, bashing into it with her beak. Granador was knocked all the way back to Hala, and when the dust cleared, it was obvious it had fainted.

"You battled well, Granador," Hala said as he returned his Pokemon to its Pokeball. "Get some rest." Hala looked up at me with a slight grin on his face. "Not bad, Alani! But I still have two Pokemon left. Ikaika, let's do this again!" Hala sent his Mankey back out, and, having recovered from its previous confusion, it was raring to battle.

"You still good to go, Pitters?" I asked my Pokemon. Pitters gave a nod of affirmation and narrowed her eyes at Ikaika. "Alright, start off with Supersonic!" Taking a deep breath, Pitters let loose her high-pitch shriek at Ikaika.

"Avoid that move and use Pursuit!" Hala shouted. Ikaika jumped out of the way of Pitters' move and launched itself at her. The two Pokemon tumbled across the stage, both of them trying to ram the other into various debris scattered around the stage.

I had to try and help Pitters find a way to get Ikaika off of her. "Pitters, try to use Rock Smash on Ikaika!" After some more rolling, Pitters managed to get some air while holding on to Ikaika, then slammed it into the rubble below. Feathers ruffled, Pitters quickly flew away to reassess the situation.

Ikaika was covered in debris from the Rock Smash. It looked rather exhausted as it slowly got up from the pile it was laying in and looked to Hala for directions. At his nod, Ikaika charged for Pitters using the last of its strength. Pitters dove at it in retaliation. A huge dust cloud formed as the two clashed, and once it settled, both Pokemon lay collapsed on the ground. A collective gasp could be heard from the crowd as Hala and I returned out Pokemon to their balls.

"You did great, Pitters," I said once she was back in her ball. "Thank you."

"Wahoo, Alani!" I heard Hau cheer from the sideline. "You're almost there! Just one more Pokemon, and then you'll beat my gramps!"

I turned to look at my friends. Hau was as energetic as ever, jumping up and down with his Pokemon. Lillie was next to him holding Nugget. Both of them were very quiet compared to Hau, but I could see the excitement radiating from them. Kukui was standing behind all of them, watching the stage with interest. When he noticed me looking in his direction, his signature grin cracked across his face and he gave me a thumbs-up.

"Ho ho! It looks like you have some very supportive friends out there!" Hala laughed, bringing my attention back to the battle. "It's great to see you have been getting along well in Alola, despite having been here for such a short time. Now, how about we see if you're ready to face the full power of my Pokemon?"

I smiled as I reached for Puppers' Pokeball. "Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this!"

Hala and I tossed our Pokeballs into the air. Puppers landed at my side, while a strange purple crab landed at Hala's. It looked almost like a Water-type, which threw me off slightly. Hala's previous Pokemon had all been Fighting-type.

As if sensing my confusion, Rotom's voice came from my bag. "Zzt! That there is a Crabrawler! It'zz a Fighting-type that can pack quite the punch! Watch out for those pinchers!"

I grinned. "Alright. Thanks, Rotom! Puppers, let's start off with Leer!" Puppers gave me a goofy grin, then gave the Crabrawler in front of him a nasty look. It cowered ever so slightly, giving Puppers the opportunity to run in for an attack.

"Scrauice, dodge it and use Power-Up Punch!" Hala shouted. Scrauice quickly jumped to Puppers' side and began to wind up for its move. The attack landed, and Puppers was sent flying towards the other side of the stage.

I winced. "Hang in there! Use Ember!" Puppers shook himself off and blasted fire at Scrauice, giving it a slight burn in the process.

"Leer!" At its Trainer's command, Scrauice sent its own glare at Puppers, making him lower his guard for a brief moment. Hala grinned. "You've done quite well for a new Trainer. But can you stand up to the power of a Z-Move?" The crystal on Hala's Z-Ring glowed as he began to punch the air in front of him. A surge of power could be felt emanating from Hala and his Pokemon.

"Puppers, get ready to dodge!" I shouted. Puppers began to move to the side, but it was too late.

"All-Out Pummeling!"

Scrauice rushed at Puppers at full-speed. Before he could get out of the way, Scrauice began to punch him at speeds faster than my eyes could comprehend, ending with one massive punch that nearly embedded Puppers in a nearby tree.

"Puppers!" I ran over to my Pokemon in fear. He was alive, thankfully, but clearly unconscious from the beating he had just received. I carefully removed Puppers from the tree and, after removing as much of the bark and splinters as I could, returned him to his ball. My head hung somewhat low as I returned to the stage.

"Z-Moves are very powerful attacks, as you have just witnessed," Hala said as I started to pull out Pueo's Pokeball, "but they do require the physical strength of Trainer and Pokemon, so, as a general rule, Z-Moves can only be used once per battle. Perhaps you will be able to beat us now, hmm?" Hala chuckled. He and Scrauice looked rather worn-out after the Z-Move they just performed.

"I sure do hope so." Pueo landed in front of me once I finished speaking. I took a deep breath. After Pueo's previous episode of not listening to me, I was still slightly shaken up. Now was the moment that really counted. If Pueo slipped back into that funk, we would lose the Grand Trial. We'd have to go through the embarrassment of challenging Hala again. And I'm certain neither of us wanted that.

"Scrauice, use Leer, then use Pursuit!" Hala's command snapped me out of my thoughts. Scrauice was leering and charging up a dark energy as it ran up to Pueo.

"Pueo, take to the sky and use Astonish!" My Pokemon listened to me, getting air just before Scrauice could land its attack. Pueo countered with his own move, causing the crab Pokemon to flinch back. He took the opening to assault Scrauice with a flurry of Plucks, dealing blow after blow.

"Power-Up Punch!" Scrauice suddenly turned around and decked Pueo square in the face with one of its pinchers. Pueo fell back and sprawled out on the ground for a moment, but quickly got back up to continue battling and to keep his feathers from getting too messy.

"You're doing great, Pueo!" I cheered. "Use Razor Leaf!" Pueo sent dozens of cutting-edge leaves right at Scrauice. The leaves hit their mark, and Scrauice was soon covered in various scratches and looked even more exhausted than before.

"Pursuit, one more time!"

"Finish it with Pluck!"

Hala and I had shouted out our commands at the same time. Scrauice and Pueo charged towards each other, just as Granador and Pitters had done earlier. They collided in a flash of dark light, and once it cleared, there was only one figure still standing. It was Pueo. He was barely able to control his wobbling, but he was the one still standing.

"We...we did it," I said in disbelief. "We actually did it. Pueo, we cleared the Grand Trial!" I ran up to Pueo and gave him a huge hug. Realizing what had just happened, Pueo returned the hug.

The crowd cheered in excitement as more and more people noticed that Scrauice was unable to battle. For a rookie Trainer, defeating the Kahuna after barely even starting on the island challenge was quite the feat. Adrenaline from the battle and the cheering ran through my veins as I fumbled to pull out a Potion and some PokeBeans for Pueo. Pueo gladly accepted the beans and munch on them as I fixed him up with the Potion. The rest of my team came back out to enjoy some PokeBeans and get healed up as well.

"Sorry you didn't get a chance to battle Hala's Pokemon, Creampuff," I apologized as I scratched her neck. "I wish I could've sent you out, but it was too dangerous to since all of his Pokemon were Fighting-types." Creampuff barked in understanding and licked my face, making me laugh.

"You battle well, Scrauice," Hala said as he called his Pokemon back to its ball. "Thank you." Hala walked up to me with a smile. "Well played, Alani! The results come as no surprise to me. What a fine Trainer...and what fine Pokemon, too!"

Out in the distance, Tapu Koko cried out. Its roar faintly shook the ground and set flocks of Pikipek scattering.

"Ho! And our mighty Tapu Koko agrees!" Hala laughed. "Perhaps it is hoping that a day may come when you will grow strong enough to battle it as well..." Hala reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange crystal. "Accept this Z-Crystal! It allows Trainers to share their power with their partner Pokemon!"

I felt a sense of newfound power flow through me as I took the crystal from Hala. It had a faint symbol of a fist engraved within it.

"Observe, Alani. If you wish to use the Fighting-type Z-Power, move your arm like this, then bend your hips and pose!" Hala slowly showed me how to perform the short dance used to set off the Fighting-type Z-Move.

My thoughts wandered back to the Z-Move Hala used during our battle. All-Out Pummeling... Did I really have the power to pull off a move like that? Hala had looked worn out after using it, and he was far stronger than me. What if I wasn't strong enough to pull it off?

A slight nudge on my leg made me look to my side. My Pokemon were all beaming at me. It was as if they sensed my thoughts and wanted to show me that they believed in my abilities as a Trainer. I smiled. I couldn't have asked for better partners.

Hala continued to speak. "Now then, Alani! With this victory, you have cleared all of the trials of Melemele Island, the first of Alola's islands! Allow me to see your Trainer Passport for a moment." I handed him my Passport, and he stamped a page in it. "The Melemele Stamp is proof of your accomplishments. Each island has its own stamp, and you will receive a new one after every Grand Trial." Hala gave me back my Passport, then closed his eyes in contemplation. "The moon in the daytime... The sun at night... Now to see if you can pour your heart into something that cannot be seen but is very much real. As you continue your island challenge, consider what makes up the people and Pokemon you meet: both what you see and what you cannot. You will surely meet Tapu Koko again someday."

The crowd had mostly dispersed by the time Hala and I exited the stage. As we walked towards Kukui and the others, Tauros ran up to us in excitement.

"Whoa there, Tauros!" Hala laughed as the bull struggled to contain itself. As he looked at the Pokemon, he seemed to be thinking of something.

"Is there something wrong, Tutu?" Hau asked.

Hala shook his head. "I've got an idea. Alani, how about I set you up so that you can ride my Tauros whenever you'd like? No reason why he shouldn't get to enjoy the island challenge, too!" Tauros grunted in agreement.

"That actually sounds really cool," I said with a bright smile. "Thank you, Hala!"

"You're very welcome. I'll take care of all the little things you'll need in order to ride a Pokemon, Alani!" Hala pulled another object out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was a small green device with a pastel pink orb on one end of it. "This is a Ride Pager. It will allow you to call upon any Pokemon registered to it. Why don't you try hoping on there?"

I nodded and took a look at the device. On the screen was an image of Tauros. A bright flash came from the orb when I clicked on the picture. I could feel my clothing change as I was teleported from where I was originally. Once I could see again, I was sitting on a chair on top of Tauros.

"Wahoo, Alani!" Hau cheered. "You look totally awesome riding a Tauros! I'm so jealous!"

"The world looks mighty different from atop a mighty Tauros, eh?" Hala said. "Here in Alola, our Pokemon lend us their strength and let us ride about on them! That Ride Wear is what you will wear whenever you are riding a Pokemon. It is designed to protect you while still enabling easy movement. Now, have a little romp around Alola with Tauros here. I'm sure you'll be charmed by him! With Tauros by your side, you'll be able to smash through any large rocks in your way. Just use that Ride Pager, and Tauros will come to your aid wherever you may be!"

I clicked the button on the pager again, and I was back on the ground in my usual clothes in a flash of light. Still smiling, I put the pager in my bag.

"Congratulations, Alani. I hope you find your Ride Pager useful. I worked on developing it with a friend of mine."

We all turned around to see Ilima walking towards us. He had a slight smile on his face. "I'm amazed that you won without even using your Z-Power. Let's have a Pokemon battle when next we meet!"

"Sounds good," I agreed. "Next time I stop by Melemele, let's battle!"

"Very well then," Ilima said as he left, "off on your island challenge you go! May the future bring you happiness!"

"All right, Alani! I got something for you, too!" Kukui said. He pulled a small disk out of his coat pocket and handed it to me. "This here is a Technical Machine, or TM for short, yeah. This one in particular teaches Pokemon the move False Swipe. It leaves your opponent with just enough strength to keep going when you attack. Keep up meeting and catching new Pokemon, yeah, and tell Rotom all about it!"

Rotom flew out of my bag at the sound of its name. "Zzt! That'zz right! We're gonna explore all across Alola and see all sorts of Pokemon, bzzt! It'zz gonna be an adventure to remember!"

"That's right, oh yeah! But before you ship out to the next island, you should let your mom know what you're doing, yeah. And maybe get some rest. Head down to the Marina in Hau'oli City tomorrow morning. Oh yeah!"

"Sounds good," I replied. "All right, team. Tomorrow morning, we're heading out for the next island!" My Pokemon all cheered. All except for Pitters. She still looked happy, but it looked like she was hiding something behind her eyes.

Rotom also took note of it and flew up to her with a concerned expression. Pitters honked a few times, then Rotom turned to explain what she said. "Hmm... Pitters hazz enjoyed exploring Melemele with you, Alani, but she's preferred the moments when she learned more about other Pokemon, bzzt. She wants to stay here and help Professor Kukui with hizz research, if you'll let her."

Kukui held his chin in thought. "It's not very often that something like this happens, but it does happen on occasion, yeah. I could always use more help with research. But the decision's not mine to make. It's yours, Alani."

I looked at Pitters. She was the first Pokemon I had caught in the wild. She helped me get through so many battles, and she even helped me get Puppers to join my team. I already made so many memories with her, and it hurt to think of not continuing with her. But in the end, I wanted her to be happy. If staying behind and researching Pokemon moves was what she wanted to do, who was I to stop her?

"Well, if that's what you want to do, Pitters, go on ahead," I conceded. "I'm not gonna stop you from following your dreams." Pitters flew up and hugged me the best she could. I returned the hug, not wanting to let go. Eventually, we did, and I handed Pitters' Pokeball over to Kukui.

"That's a very brave and kind choice you made, Alani. Shows you have a big heart in there, yeah." After putting Pitters' Pokeball in his pocket, he clapped his hands together. "All right, time to get the boat ready! Lillie, you gonna help me clean it?"

"Of course, Professor," Lillie said. "I think I should give Nugget back to Alani first, though." The green blob in Lillie's arms wiggled in agreement.

"Ah, right, I nearly forgot about that Pokemon. I've never seen anything like it before. It's a special Pokemon for sure, oh yeah! Make sure to take good care of it, Alani."

The group dispersed as Lillie handed me Nugget. "Before I go with Professor Kukui, I actually wanted to ask a favor of you first, Alani. If that's all right?"

I gave her a gentle smile. "Of course. What is it?"

"You see... Nebby is..." Lillie hesitated for a moment, then looked at Nebby. "Its real home is far away from here. And I want to help it get home. It's like I told you before... Nebby saved my life once when I was in trouble. Now I want to save it!" She whirled around to face me once more. "I feel like there's not much I can do on my own since I'm not a Pokemon Trainer... But if I had a real Trainer helping me like you, Alani, then maybe..." Lillie cut herself off and shook her head. "But I probably shouldn't be asking a near stranger for help, right? I know it's just my own wish and it has nothing to do with you..."

I held a hand up. "You can stop right there, Lillie. Of course I'll help you!"

Lillie was beaming. "Oh, thank you so much. I'm so glad! I really didn't know what else to do! Then I suppose...the two of us will be heading to the next island as well!"

"Pew!" Nebby started to dance around us in joy. It was excited to go out and explore other islands. Or maybe just the chance to be out of the bag more.

"Ok! Well, you should probably catch up to Kukui so that he doesn't worry about you. I'll see you in the morning, Lillie!" Lillie nodded and ran off after putting Nebby back in the bag. I started to head home, eagerly anticipating the next day's journey.

* * *

 **thereswaytoomanypeopleicantkeeptrackofthemallaaaaa**

 **I'm not bad at making nicknames for Pokemon, you are. Anyways, yeah, the whole Pitters leaving thing was definitely a bit rushed, but I seriously could not figure out another way to do it other than just dropping her off in the PC. And that would've been super super lame.**

 **Fair warning, the next chapter's super short. Like, super super short. Honestly, the only reason it even exists is because I felt like it didn't quite fit in with this one. That, and it gives me a time buffer for writing more chapters. Akala's gonna be pretty long. I haven't even planned out everything for it yet, and it's already at least...12 chapters? So because of that, I want to try and get a bunch of chapters done for it. I think I'll have a better explanation as to what's gonna happen next week. Right now, things are messy, and I'm barely staying afloat with it all.**

 **Feel free to leave a question or just a plain ol' review! See ya'll next week!**


	11. Setting Sail for Akala!

**Here it is. The lame-o chapter. It's short. It's very short. Sorry about that!**

* * *

Early the next morning, I set off for the Marina. My mom still had work, but she was able to see me to around the center of Hau'oli. I continued the rest of the journey on my own. My Pokemon were asleep in their Pokeballs and Nugget in my bag, leaving me to silence, save for a few cars that passed by on occasion. Hau'oli City was such a different city in the morning. I remembered when Lillie was showing me around and people swarmed the streets like Durants. Now it seemed like almost no one lived here. It was somewhat unnerving, but also fairly calming. The past few days had been filled with non-stop adventure. It felt nice to take a moment and simply enjoy my surroundings for what they were.

As I approached the Marina, I saw Kukui, Lillie, and, to my surprise, Hau. The three of them seemed to be having a conversation when Hau saw me walking up to them.

"Alola, Alani! There you are!" Hau greeted me.

"Mornin', Hau," I said, still somewhat surprised at his being there. "Did you wake up this early to see me off?"

Hau grinned. "I'm actually going with you! I completed my grand trial super late last night. I can't have you getting ahead of me, now, can I?"

"That's amazing, Hau!" I complimented. "Though, if you think you're gonna keep up with me, you've got another thing coming!" Getting back to what I was here for, I started talking to Kukui. "Mornin', Kukui! Which boat are we taking?"

"It's a good morning, oh yeah!" Kukui said as he stretched, "As for your question, we'll be taking this beauty right behind me, oh yeah!"

The boat...left a little to be desired, to put it mildly. The sail had a few patches in it, and it looked as if it would fall apart at the slightest touch.

"That reminds me," Hau said, turning to Kukui. "Hey, Prof, are you sure this old thing's really seaworthy?"

"Hey now!" Kukui retorted. "Don't you go calling my boat old! She's not old... Call her a classic. Well seasoned, yeah?"

"I quite like that it has a sense of history..." Lillie spoke up. Her bag shuffled and let out a muted pew as Nebby tried to agree.

"So, Alani, are you ready to set off?" Kukui asked. "If there's anything you forgot, we can wait for a little bit, yeah."

"Nope," I replied cheerfully. "I've got everything I need. Let's go!"

"Oh yeah!" Kukui cheered. "Time to sail away. Woo!"

Kukui went into the boat to drive it, while the rest of us piled onto the deck. The motor started, and we started sailing away from Melemele Island.

Hau cheered as we started getting farther away from the island. "We-e-e are off! Come on, grandma, kick it up a notch!"

"If we push the boat much harder than this, we all might end up at the bottom of the ocean," Lillie chided.

"Ha, ha! You're probably just worried about your silly hat flying off! Lighten up a bit!" Hau went back to looking at the horizon. "I wonder what kind of Island Akala is, huh? Is it like Melemele? Or is it something completely different? I can't wait to find out!"

"Wait, Hau, so you've never been anywhere besides Melemele Island?" I asked.

Hau nodded. "Yeah, it's where I grew up. Never got a chance to visit the other islands until now. But seeing all of Alola for myself is half the fun of doing the island challenge! Isn't this just the best?!"

I was starting to feel slightly queasy, but I kept my energy up. "Definitely!" I agreed. "I want to see as much of Alola as I possibly can!"

The wind whipped through my hair as we continued to sail across the sea. Wingull were flocking around our boat, adding to the sense of adventure that was in the air. I could see various islands on the horizon, and they were all place I had yet to explore. My heart pounded with nervous energy. There were so many new places to go and people and Pokemon to meet. I couldn't wait to find out what else was in store for me in Alola!

* * *

 **Well, that sucked.**

 **Ok, so I definitely do not have enough chapters to keep going after this, so there's gonna be a hiatus. My guess is that it'll last through March, but I can't be certain. All of my weekends in March are being taken up by theatre, robotics, band, homework...Breath of the Wild...yeah. It might take awhile for me to get rolling on it again. It's mostly the homework that's gonna kill me time-wise, and then Breath of the Wild is gonna swoop in and take up the spare time I have. It's such an amazing game! If you don't have it yet, don't spoil it for yourself! Dodge those internet spoilers!**

 **Thank you all for sticking with me through this story! I'll try to make the Akala chapters better than Melemele's. These were like the warm-up for the big game! See you all later!**


	12. -Once Upon a Time-

_It was a calm night on Akala Island. The moon danced gently upon the water's surface as the sea breeze twisted and played with the waves. Luvdisc and Finneon fluttered deep underwater, occasionally coming up and brushing the surface. It was the perfect time to go for a stroll, which is exactly what a young professor decided to do._

 _As she walked along the shoreline, a mysterious blue flash appeared farther down the beach. She ran to investigate what had just happened. When she arrived at the site of the blue light, she found a young girl washed up, nearly unconscious. The professor quickly went to help the girl. They went back to the lab where the professor worked, where the professor made sure the girl was alright._

 _Once the girl was feeling better, she asked for the professor's name. After she knew who the professor was, she explained what had happened for her to suddenly appear on the beach. She had escaped the 'very large floating structure'-VLFS for short-known as Aether Paradise with a very rare Pokemon that needed to be protected, and was told to find the professor._

 _Upon hearing the girl's story, the professor called her husband and told him to come to the island. He arrived shortly after receiving the call. The young girl gave him a questioning look; he too was a professor, but he lacked a shirt and wore only a lab coat and sweatpants, which seemed rather odd to her. After some discussion, it was decided that the girl would stay with the other professor at his research lab on another island. Once they arrived at the island, the girl and professor were greeted by the kahuna and his grandson. At first, the girl was not very trusting of the two, but after interacting with them, she decided that she could trust them as well._

 _The girl and her Pokemon slowly adjusted to their new life on the island. They read about the lore of the island as well as the system of what was known as the island challenge. The girl was not incredibly fond of how Pokemon would get hurt doing this, but she admired how Trainers and their Pokemon would grow strong bonds through the challenge. She hoped that someday, she would be able to return home and that, perhaps, her family could be together once more._

* * *

 _"Today was certainly an eventful day! Nebby kept acting like it wanted to go see the Ruins of Conflict, but when we did try to visit them, it was attacked by Spearow! It was just terrible! All I could do was stand by and watch. But then a stranger appeared and helped us. At first I thought it had to be someone from Aether-that they had tracked us down at last. But it was actually a girl that the professor knows. Alani...I won't forget her..."_


	13. Welcome to Akala!

**Woah-ho! It's been awhile, hasn't it? Life's been nuts. Let me tell ya, whoever said senior year in high school is easier than junior year is a dirty little liar. Aside from various extracurricular things I'm doing, I've had homework and projects up the wazoo, and, honestly, I've ended up crying in the middle of class a few times because of how much stress I've had. Hopefully that won't be happening anymore. I've got just a little over a month before I graduate!**

 **I'll leave the rest for the end of the chapter. Now, it's time for the long-awaited arrival on Akala Island!**

* * *

After long hours of sailing, we finally arrived at Akala Island. The moment the boat was docked, I scrambled to get off of the boat and leaned against one of the nearby walls. Apparently long travels on small boats weren't really my thing. I felt like I was going to throw up.

Lillie and Kukui walked off of the boat soon after I did. Hau, on the other hand, leapt from the deck onto the dock, landing with a loud thud.

"Land ahoy!" Hau declared. "All right! Akala Island, here I come!"

Lillie nervously smiled. "Isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' after you've already arrived onshore?"

Hau shrugged. "What a stick in the sand! Alani, help me out-uh, you ok there, Alani?"

I was still leaning against the wall, and my Pokemon, Rotom and Nugget included, had popped out to try and help me. "I-I'm fine," I managed. "Just...give me a few minutes."

"All right. If you say so..." Hau said hesitantly. He turned to Kukui. "What about you, Professor? Did you think it was funny?"

Kukui put his hands on his hips and grinned. "The land is certainly ahoy, oh boy!"

Hau and Nebby, who had somehow snuck out of Lillie's bag again, starting laughing, while Lillie herself just groaned and covered her face.

"Still haven't managed to find a shirt that goes with your lab coat, hmm, Kukui? I've told you you're gonna scare off strangers looking like that..."

Lillie froze up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. "Nebby. Back into the bag," she whispered.

Kukui waved her off. "Don't sweat it, Lillie. These are people we can trust."

I was starting to recover from my bout of seasickness when two women walked down the steps. One had dark skin and hair, while the other had tan skin and green hair.

"Why hello there," the woman with dark skin said. "Nice to meet you all-I'm Olivia." Olivia was absolutely gorgeous. Her outfit looked stunning on her body, and she had an air of maturity and confidence about her.

"Hey! Thanks for stopping by!" the other woman giggled. "I'm Mallow, one of the captains here!" Mallow looked much younger than Olivia, and she had on a cute outfit that seemed to match her personality.

"I was on my way to see who was pulling into port and ran into Mallow here while she was out on a delivery," Olivia explained.

"Yup!" Mallow chirped. "My trial will be a chance for all the fine ingredients that make up your team to shine!" She took a closer look at Hau and me, as well as our teams. "Especially you two! Your Pokemon look ready to cook with gas!" Hau and I looked at each other and shrugged sheepishly.

"And Mallow isn't the only captain here on Akala Island, of course," Olivia added. "So, what's the plan, kids?"

Kukui walked forward and clapped Hau and me on our backs. "Yeah, that's up to these kids. It's their island challenge, after all!"

"Yes, I suppose so..." Olivia pondered. "Ok, then. Enjoy your time on your island challenge, kids, along with your Pokemon. I'll be waiting for my chance to face you in battle when the time comes. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got!" Olivia turned to her companion. "Let's go, Mallow."

The two women walked off. Mallow stopped for a brief moment to wave at us, then ran to catch up with Olivia.

Kukui watched them as they left. "I'm sure she wanted to come see that you made it here all right... But she'll never admit it to you! Hah! That's Olivia for you. She's a kind kahuna, deep down."

I blinked. "Wait. Olivia's the kahuna?"

"That's right. She's a strong one, too, so you'd best train up before battling her." Kukui turned to look at us. "Anyways, there are three trials here on Akala Island. If you two decide you want to take on a trial straightaway, head up to Route Four there and keep on goin' until you hit Paniola Town."

Hau laughed. "Shoots, I know where I'm going first, and that's straight to the Pokemon Center! I wonder what kind of malasada they make on Akala, eh?"

Lillie looked out into the city. "Heahea City... Maybe I'll see about some shopping of my own. And I should find out about the ruins for Nebby's sake, too..."

"Those sound like good plans, yeah," Kukui hummed. "What about you, Alani? You got any idea of where you'll be going first?"

I thought about it for a moment. "I think I'll take a look around the city first, then head for Paniola Town."

"Sounds good! Ah, before you go, here's a bit of cash for all of you. Akala's much bigger than Melemele, so you're probably gonna need a bit more cash as you go, yeah." Kukui reached into his pocket and pulled out three bags with money in them. He handed one to each of us.

"Oh, Professor, thank you," Lillie murmured. "You didn't have to."

"Nah, don't worry about it, Lillie," Kukui said. "Gotta make sure you kids will be all right out here, yeah?" He clapped his hands. "All righty then! I'll see you all later. I have a few things I need to finish up at the lab, yeah, but I'll be sure to check up on you all. Have fun, oh yeah!" Kukui headed back to his ship to go back to Melemele, while the rest of us went into the city.

Hau ran ahead, shouting something about how he needed to heal his team and get some malasadas. Lillie and I, now on our own, strolled down the street until we passed by a clothing store. Lillie looked into the window full of colorful clothing.

"You thinking of getting some new clothes?" I asked.

"Well, perhaps, but it looks like this little fellow will hardly stay still." Lillie looked down as Nebby floated around and tugged at her socks. "I think Nebby might be interested in visiting the Ruins of Life. Apparently they house the sacred guardian of Akala Island. A creature called Tapu Lele." Lillie looked back up at me. "Um, I was wondering if you'd like to go with us when we go to visit the ruins. I mean, little Nebby here seems to like you quite a bit, Alani..." Nebby danced as if to prove her point.

"I'll go," I said. "It'll be cool to see some more of Alola's ruins. Well, without falling off a bridge this time."

Lillie giggled. "I'll be at the Tide Song Hotel for a little bit. I'm supposed to be meeting someone there... Someone very important to me..." She looked at the building that towered above the others. "I'll be all right. I can see it from here, after all. Even I shouldn't be able to lose my way. I think." Nebby laughed at Lillie's doubt, making her pout at it. "And you! I'll have you stay in your bag, mister."

Nebby looked at Lillie. After staying in place for a moment, it floated over to me and smiled. It turned around to face Lillie again, and it threw a small tantrum.

Nugget and I laughed at the sight of Lillie staring down a small galaxy puff. "I don't think Nebby really agrees with that plan, Lillie." Nebby laughed as well, then floated back over to Lillie and rubbed against her leg. She smiled as she helped it back into her bag.

Lillie turned to leave, but stopped suddenly. "I've heard that members of Team Skull have been spotted out here, too, Alani," Lillie warned. "I know the ones we've run into before were not very strong, but we should still be careful."

I nodded. "Ok. Thanks for the heads up. I'll meet you at the hotel in a little bit!"

* * *

After browsing the clothing store for a little while, I set out for the Tide Song Hotel. The building was absolutely enormous. Windows lined the walls of the blue and cream-colored structure. This hotel had to be some sort of high-class resort. It looked bigger than the Celadon Department Store!

"Stop right there!"

I jumped at the sound of someone shouting. A young man and a young lady started walking towards me. They looked like typical tourists with their Alolan shirts and oversized sunglasses.

"Ah ha ha! We didn't mean to surprise you," the man said. "You must be doing your island challenge, right?"

"Ah, yes, I am," I replied.

The man smiled and adjusted his sunglasses. "I'm Dexio."

"And my name's Sina!" the lady said proudly. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady!"

"We're here seeing the sights in Alola," Dexio explained. "Its unique tradition of island challenge... It's pretty fascinating, I've got to say."

Sina suddenly gasped. "Dexio! That Pokemon in her arms... Could it be?" She leaned in towards Dexio and started whispering something.

I looked down at Nugget. It looked just as confused as I was. "Umm... Does this Pokemon belong to you two? I found it last night sleeping in some of my blankets."

Sina and Dexio stopped talking to each other and looked at me. They slowly shook their heads, still sneaking a few glances down at Nugget.

"No," Sina finally said, "That Pokemon doesn't belong to us. Say, what's your name? I don't think we ever caught it."

"My name's Alani."

"Well, Alani, how about you test your skills with me? I think it would be amazing to see what the Trainers of Alola can do!"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a native Trainer of Alola, but I guess I can do that," I agreed.

Sina grinned. "Ok! Let's get this show on the road!" She tossed a Pokeball into the air, sending out a Delibird.

"All right, Creampuff! Let's do this!" I shouted as I sent out my own Pokemon. "This is our first battle on Akala Island! Let's make it a good one!"

"So, this is your first battle here?" Sina echoed. "Well, we're still not gonna go easy on you! Dela, use Present!"

Dela reached into its tail and pulled out a small pink bundle. It chucked the package at Creampuff, and it exploded in a series of small flames.

"Shake it off and use Rock Throw!" Creampuff shook out several rocks from her ruff and sent them flying towards Dela. The rocks pelted their target hard, sending the Pokemon scrambling for cover.

"Present again!" Dela grabbed another bundle from her tail and hurled it at Creampuff, but the bomb was a dud. It ended up healing some of Creampuff's injuries instead of dealing more. Dela rubbed the back of its head in embarrassment.

Creampuff took advantage of Dela's momentary distraction to tackle it as hard as she could. The two Pokemon tumbled across the pavement, nearly barreling into Dexio in the process. Creampuff grinned with pride when she saw that Dela was knocked out by her attack.

"Way to go, Creampuff!" I cheered. "You got 'em!"

Sina returned Dela to its Pokeball. "You did great, Dela. Get some rest." Sina looked at me as she pulled out her next Pokemon. "You know, you're actually pretty strong for a rookie Trainer, Alani."

I blinked. "How'd you know that I'm a new Trainer?"

"Well, the way you look and carry yourself is a pretty dead giveaway," Sina chuckled. "Seasoned Trainers tend to have, how do I put this, a certain aura about them. It's hard to describe, but you'll know it when you feel it. Now, I still have one more Pokemon. Let's keep going!" She threw another Pokeball, sending out a light blue Pokemon.

"That'zzz a Glaceon, a Pokemon native to the Sinnoh region!" Rotom buzzed as he popped out of my bag. "It's the Ice-type evolution of Eevee, too! It may be hot here in Alola, bzzrt, but still watch out for its icy attacks!"

Sina whistled. "Wow, that RotomDex works like a charm. Clemont really outdid himself this time."

"Sina, you're getting distracted!" Dexio nudged.

"Whoops. Alright, Ellie, use Quick Attack!" Ellie dashed at Creampuff at an astonishing speed, bashing her out of the way. I didn't think the attack would do too much damage, given the fact that Quick Attack was a Normal-type move, but Creampuff seemed rather winded after taking the hit. Ellie snickered as it landed in front of Sina.

"Heh," Sina smirked. "Bet you thought Ellie would be a pushover, didn't ya? You may have the type advantage, but Ellie here's super strong and fast! She's not going down without a fight!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Well, we're not giving up just yet! Creampuff, Rock Throw! Throw as many as you can!" Creampuff gathered up rocks and started hurling them at Ellie. The Glaceon dodged most of them with ease, but as the rocks became clustered on the ground underneath her, she became more and more clumsy. Using this to her advantage, Creampuff chucked one last massive rock, beaning Ellie square in the face with it.

"It's all right, Ellie!" Sina shouted. "Use Icy Wind!" Ellie let loose a wave of freezing air at Creampuff. Creampuff dashed to get out of the way, but her hind foot ended being caught in the blast and becoming encased in a thin layer of ice.

"Ah, run up to Ellie and use Bite!" Creampuff followed my command and chased Ellie, chomping down on her leg.

"Knock Creampuff off!" Ellie swung Creampuff into the nearby fountain with all her might. Creampuff let go of Ellie's leg with a sharp yelp.

"Are you ok, Creampuff?" I asked anxiously. Creampuff shook herself off and nodded in affirmation. "All right, then use Rock Throw again!" My Pokemon started up her assault on Ellie once more. Ellie was still worn out from the previous attacks, so she ended up taking the full brunt of Creampuff's latest attack. Ellie collapsed, signaling the end of the battle.

"Oh, Ellie," Sina whimpered as she went to her Pokemon. "You did amazing." Sina looked back up at me. "I get it... Facing trials helps you grow close to your team. I think that's absolutely wonderful! I feel like I've been able to get a glimpse of the island challenge! Here, let me heal our Pokemon. They battled so hard for us, after all." Sina handed me some Potions to use on Creampuff, then went to take care of her own Pokemon.

"Yep, you and your Pokemon are the ultimate team! No doubt about it! You know, Sina, this battle reminded me of us in the past...and that group of five young Trainers," Dexio said thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Sina agreed. "This girl certainly has potential. Which reminds me... Alani. I have something to give to you." Sina stood up and handed me something from her bag. It was a black and green container with hexagons scattered across it.

"Thanks," I said as I took the object. "Umm, what is this?"

"That is what is known as a Zygarde Cube," Sina explained. "It's used to collect the Cells and Cores of a Pokemon called Zygarde, a legendary Pokemon of Kalos."

"Wait, a legendary Pokemon? Why would you give me something so important? Shouldn't it stay in Kalos?"

"About that," Dexio began, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "You see, a few months ago, all traces of Zygarde in Kalos seemed to, well, vanish. It was almost like it was never there. Zygarde appears whenever disaster is about to upset the balance of nature, so we used as many resources as possible to figure out where it could have gone. We managed to trace it all the way out here to Alola, which is part of the reason why we're out here. We've been searching for any sign of Zygarde for at least a week now, and we haven't come up with anything. Honestly, we were getting close to giving up."

"And that's when you came along with that Core," Sina added.

I looked down at Nugget. "You mean Nugget's actually a legendary Pokemon?"

Sina giggled. "Nugget, huh? That's a cute name. Well, technically speaking, yes. It's about one hundredth of a legendary Pokemon."

I looked up at Sina in disbelief. "One hundredth? Are you saying there's ninety nine more Pokemon like Nugget scattered across Alola? And you want me to find them?"

"I understand that this is a tall order to ask of you," Dexio said, "but we would really appreciate your help. Since you're on your island challenge, you'll be exploring every island of Alola, so you're more likely to find more of Zygarde than me and Sina."

"Besides, we'll still be searching!" Sina chirped. "If we find any, we'll be able to contact you on your RotomDex and let you know. And, you don't have to focus solely on gathering the Cells and Cores. Just pick up any that you happen to find on your travels."

"... All right," I conceded. "I'll do it. How do I use this cube?"

Sina walked over and gave me a tutorial. "What you'll need to do is point the top part of the device at a Cell or Core, like Nugget right there. Then, you click this button here, and-" A flash of green light shot out of the cube and enveloped Nugget, sucking it into the cube. "-voila! The Cell or Core is now in the cube! Oh, the cube is like a Pokeball with a few added functions, such as providing sustenance to the Cells and Cores, so don't worry about Zygarde being uncomfortable. Once enough Cells and Cores are together, it might pop out on occasion as a partially complete version of itself as well."

Dexio noticed my reaction to the thought of a partially complete Pokemon. "Zygarde has a few different forms to adjust to the number of Cells and Cores it has, so you don't need to worry about seeing something weird coming out of the cube."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Ok. That's what I was worried about."

Sina gave the cube back to me. "Well, since we're all set, Dexio and I will be taking our leave now. Bonne chance, et bon voyage!" The duo headed off into the main part of the city as they waved.

Creampuff and I continued on to the Tide Song Hotel. The interior was even more luxurious than the exterior. After wandering around, I managed to find Lillie sitting on a couch near a corner of the lobby.

"Hey, Lillie," I greeted as I sat down next to her. "Did you manage to meet up with that person you were looking for?"

Lillie jumped at my sudden presence. "Oh, about that... I saw some people who looked like those Team Skull thugs and I got scared. I was trying to avoid them and then I think I ended up missing my meeting. Oh, but don't worry, it's fine! It all works out." She shifted ever so slightly to pet Creampuff, who was trying to nuzzle her way into our laps. "So, Alani, are you going to head out for your next trial soon?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I'll probably set off for Paniola Town after this. You want to join me?"

Lillie nodded. "Of course. It's been fun to travel with you."

Creampuff let out a muffled bark from in between the couch cushions, startling both of us. She withdrew from the fortress of cushion with a green blob that looked almost like Nugget, except slightly less lively.

"W-what is that?" Lillie asked. "It looks almost like Nugget. Come to think of it, where is Nugget?"

I pulled out the Zygarde Cube. "Nugget's in here. Turns out it's actually part of a Pokemon from the Kalos region called Zygarde. I think this one's another part." I activated the cube, and the green Pokemon disappeared into it. "Yep, that was one. That must've been a Cell."

"I'm...afraid I don't understand what's going on," Lillie said with a perplexed expression.

"Well, that makes two of us," I replied as I fed Creampuff a PokeBean. "All I know is that I'm supposed to gather as many parts of Zygarde as I can while I'm on my island challenge. I don't think it's something to worry about too much. Speaking of, let's get going. I want to try and reach Paniola by tonight." I returned Creampuff to her Pokeball and stood up to leave. With Lillie by my side, I set off for Route Four.

* * *

 **Yeah, let's go ahead and put a kid in charge of a legendary Pokemon. Seems about right.**

 **Ok, so I just wanna state a few things. First of all, super sorry for the delay. I wasn't expecting to take this long to build up a decent enough chapter cushion (frankly, I don't think I have a big enough cushion, but I didn't want to delay this any further), but as I mentioned at the top, school was a bit harsh. On top of that, I had a super bad writer's block. It's pretty obvious how bad it was in the next couple of chapters, but it does start to get better eventually. I think.**

 **Speaking of chapters, from here on out (granted, this chapter 11, and I'm typing this note from around chapter 14), I'm going to try and give them more life and diverge a tiny bit from the plot of the games. Like, add a few different events, different interactions, stuff like that. The Melemele arc (would you consider that an arc?) felt kinda flat to me. I still need some form of framework to follow, so I'm not throwing the game's plot into the blender. Yet.**

 **Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review, and follow/favorite if you somehow like my writing! Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!**


	14. Paniola Showdown

**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter, though I will be the first to say that it 100% sucks. My writing block was at its peak while I tried to force my way through this one, but it had to be done. As it is, I'm hitting another one already.**

* * *

Route Four was rich with nature. Tall grass waved in the wind, hiding the wild Pokemon within it. The humidity was a bit much, but minus that and the amount of mud, the area was perfect for a stroll.

"This route is certainly different from Heahea City," Lillie hummed. "It's so quiet and peaceful."

I put my hands behind my head as I stretched. "Yeah. After all the action with my grand trial, traveling across the ocean, and going through Heahea City, it's nice to have a change of pace."

"If it weren't for all of this mud, we'd be able to just sit down and enjoy the view."

"I guess so. Maybe Paniola Town will..." I cut myself short as I looked farther up the path. "... Is that dust cloud getting bigger?" The cloud grew at a rapid pace, and as it turned out, it was the trail being left behind by an Eevee atop a brown horse-like Pokemon. Before I could fully register what was happening, the Pokemon crashed into me, sending me sprawling into a nearby mud puddle.

"Alani!" Lillie gasped. "Are you all right?"

I tried to respond, but the impact had knocked the wind out of me, and on top of that, I kept getting mud in my mouth. As I struggled to recover, the Eevee walked over to me and nuzzled my face in apology. I felt something trying to lift me out of the mud, and when I turned around, I saw that it was the other Pokemon.

Rotom laughed as it flew out of my bag. "Zzzt! That was quite the wipe-out you had there! I think the expression is to eat duzzt, not mud, though, bzzzt!"

"Rotom," I coughed, "unless you're gonna tell me what this horse Pokemon is, please shut up."

"Oh, all right. That Pokemon is known as Mudbray! It'zz a very strong Pokemon, as you juzzt felt, and often assists in plowing fields! This Pokemon also constantly needs to play in mud, or it will begin to get extremely nervous, bzzt!"

"Mudbray, huh?" I said as I sat up. "You're a pretty fast runner." Mudbray neighed and stood in a proud pose.

"I wonder why these two Pokemon decided to run you over," Lillie said as she approached us again.

I shrugged as Eevee climbed into my lap. "Not sure. Maybe they just wanted to play. Or maybe they just like people?"

Eevee and Mudbray, who was resting his head on mine, hummed in satisfaction. They both looked at Rotom and started talking to it.

"Soundzz like you're pretty much right on both accounts, Alani!" Rotom buzzed. "Eevee saw you and Lillie and wanted to travel with you, and since Mudbray izz her friend, he decided to tag along as well, bzzrt!"

"Oh, um, are you two sure about that?" I asked. Eevee and Mudbray nodded their heads. "All right then! You can come with us. Just, uh, please don't knock me over again." The Pokemon hopped around in excitement as I pulled out a couple of Pokeballs. I held one out to each, and they tapped them, being absorbed into the balls. Once they were officially caught, I sent them back out along with the rest of my team.

"You certainly do have a lot of Pokemon now," Lillie said with a smile.

"Heh, I guess so," I grinned. "Now we need to give you two nicknames!" The rest of my team yapped in agreement. I thought for a little while as to what I should call my two new Pokemon. I hadn't expected to find a new team member so soon, let alone two. "How about... Clyde for Mudbray...and Mestrix for Eevee? Would that work for you?" The two new Pokemon nodded their heads eagerly.

"Well, that settles it, brzzt! Welcome to the team, Clyde and Mestrix!" My Pokemon cheered as they welcomed our newest additions.

"Perhaps we should continue on to Paniola Town?" Lillie suggested. "I think you might want to clean yourself up and change out of those clothes now that they're covered in mud."

"Yeah, just maybe," I laughed. "Let's go, team!"

* * *

We went to the Pokemon Center as soon as we arrived in Paniola Town. Apparently Trainers falling into the mud happened fairly often, because they guided me to a shower with me having to ask. I did the best I could to wash the mud stains out of my clothes, but in the end, there were still some stains visible, so I changed into some of the spare clothing I bought earlier. Once I was done, I went to the cafe to have lunch with Lillie, and to my surprise, Hau was there as well, telling Lillie what appeared to be an exciting story.

Once I had ordered for myself as well as my Pokemon, I sat down with my friends. "Heya, Hau!"

"There you are, Alani!" Hau said. "I heard about your little encounter with the mud from Lillie. Falling in the mud sure isn't fun, but you got two new Pokemon out of it!"

"Heh, yep," I grinned. "I think they're gonna be amazing additions to my team."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Hau exclaimed. "Let's have a battle!"

I was slightly surprised. "Right now?"

"Yeah! We haven't had a proper battle in forever. I want to see how strong you've gotten! I know I've gotten stronger. My gramps must've thought I did well enough during my grand trial, cuz he gave me a Z-Ring, too!" Hau held up his wrist with a Z-Ring on it.

"Oh, geez, I didn't even see it before!" I said in surprise.

Hau looked offended. "You mean, you thought I didn't have one? Gosh, Alani, what a great friend /you/ are. Shouldn't you have been able to tell I had it in my bag while we were sailing to Akala?" A sly grin crossed his face. Lillie giggled as realization dawned upon me.

"All right, thanks for trying to make me doubt my observational skills, you jerk," I laughed as I playfully shoved Hau.

"I was going to challenge you after I healed my team at the Pokemon Center back in Heahea City, but by the time I was done, you and Lillie had already scooted on over to Route Four," Hau explained as he got up from his chair.

"Well, guess it's time to have that battle then," I said as I got up as well. "Let's go!"

The three of us and our Pokemon headed out of the Pokemon Center and into an open patch of nearby land. I hadn't looked around too much when I first arrived in Paniola Town, but now that I had an opportunity to do so, I noticed that the town had a very rustic feel to it. The roads were all dirt and the buildings looked like they were imported from somewhere in the Orre region.

"Having a battle in Paniola Town makes it feel like we're in a real old-fashioned Western showdown, right? This is so cool!" Hau cheered. "Awright, Chuchino and team! Let's show this newbie what Alola's got!" He threw the Pokeball in his hand, sending out Chuchino.

"Pueo, I think it's time for a rematch!" I called out as I sent out Pueo. Pueo perched on a rock and looked at the dirt ground with distain. Taking a deep breath, he slowly forced himself to step down onto the dirt. "Thank you, Pueo," I said, acknowledging the fact that he was getting his feathers dirty. Pueo cooed and faced his opponent.

"Hey, Chuchino, let's start this off with a Quick Attack, yeah?" Chuchino squeaked and slammed into Pueo at a high speed. After being hit, Pueo took to the air, awaiting my directions.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Pueo nodded and spread his wings, sending dozens of leaves at Chuchino. The leaves hit their target, damaging Chuchino quite a bit.

"Don't give in, Chuchino! Knock 'em down with Electro Ball!" A large ball of electricity began to form on Chuchino's tail. He leapt into the air and hurled it at Pueo. Pueo tried to dodge the incoming attack, but it moved faster than he could, and the jolt of electricity sent him crashing to the ground.

"Are you all right, Pueo?" I worriedly asked. Pueo dusted himself off and gave me a firm nod. I sighed in relief. "All right, then use Pluck!" Pueo rushed at Chuchino, beak poised to counterattack. Chuchino started to run, and a game of cat-and-mouse, or rather, bird-and-mouse, ensued. The two Pokemon ran all across town, firing off attacks to slow the other down. As Hau, Lillie, and I all watched and cheered, it was obvious to me that our Pokemon were enjoying themselves. I smiled. It was great to see my partner have fun while battling, especially with a friend.

Eventually, our Pokemon came back to us. They were worn out, but they both had huge grins on their faces.

I knelt down to face Pueo. "Looks like you and Chuchino were having a blast, eh?" Pueo cooed and nodded his head. I laughed. "That's good to hear. Now, how about you get some rest?" Pueo returned to his Pokeball, and I stood back up and faced Hau. He had also returned Chuchino and had another Pokeball in his hand.

"You ready to go, Alani? How about you show me one of your new Pokemon in action?" Hau asked.

"Alright," I said as I reached for Mestrix's Pokeball. "Just know that they really did just join my team, so we haven't had a whole lot of time or opportunities to train together."

"Well, think of this as that opportunity!" Hau beamed. "Never hurts to get into the swing of things right away, yeah?"

"You're not wrong," I conceded. "Ok, Mestrix, let's show 'em what we got!" My new Eevee barked happily as she was sent out to battle.

Hau gasped in surprise. "Whoa, you got an Eevee? So lucky! I've heard those guys are super hard to find." He shook his head as he refocused on the battle. "That's not gonna stop us from beating you, though! Tarin, let's do this!" I was expecting Hau's Popplio to come out, but instead, a lighter blue Pokemon with frills came out.

"Oh, you evolved Tarin!" Lillie said brightly. "Congratulations, Hau!"

"Yeah, that great!" I agreed.

"Heh, thanks, guys," Hau said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Now, we'll show you the strength of a Brionne! Use Disarming Voice!" Tarin let out a charming cry and sent a wave of not-so-loving hearts at Mestrix. She looked rather sad for a moment while the hearts hit her, but managed to shake off the feeling and waited for my directions.

"Mestrix, use..." I paused for a moment as I realized that Mestrix was so new, I didn't even check to see what moves she knew. Rotom noticed my struggle and popped out to helpfully provided the list for me. "Thanks, Rotom. Ok, Mestrix, two can play at the no-miss game! Use Swift!" Mestrix summoned multiple stars and shot them at Tarin. Tarin tried to dodge some of the stars, but they all hit their mark.

"It's all right, Tarin! Get 'em back with Aqua Jet!" Tarin enveloped himself with water and rushed at Mestrix.

"Dodge it and use Swift again!" Quickly leaping out of the way, Mestrix summoned more stars and sent them after the jet of water. They knocked Tarin off-course, ending his attack.

With just a simple nod from Hau, Tarin began storing energy. I was confused up until I saw Hau beginning the Normalium Z dance. I winced. Was Mestrix strong enough to take the full hit of a Z-Move?

In the end, I decided it wasn't worth the risk. "Mestrix, return!" I said as I called my Eevee back. I pulled out Clyde's Pokeball. He had a type disadvantage against Tarin, but I was fairly confident he was strong enough to take the hit. "Clyde, brace yourself! You can take it!" Clyde landed in front of me with a loud bray and started to move farther out of the way of the Z-Move. Tarin came charging in with Breakneck Blitz and slammed into Clyde. The two Pokemon whirled in a brown and blue pile across the battle field, each trying to get the upper hand. Clyde was eventually able to land a kick square into Tarin's face and used the opportunity to create space between him and his opponent.

"Alright, Clyde," I began, looking at the move set Rotom was showing me, "Use Stomp! Show 'em that type match-ups can't stop us!"

Clyde brayed and ran up to Tarin, sending his front hoof into the side of his opponent. Tarin reciprocated with Pound, forcing Clyde to stumble back slightly. The two Pokemon continued to clash, head to head, hoof to flipper. They started to kick up a small dust cloud, obscuring our vision of the battle. Once it settled, Clyde could be seen just barely standing, while Tarin was laying on the ground.

"Man," Hau sighed as he recalled Tarin, "you really are something else, Alani. You managed to beat me even with Pokemon you just caught!"

"Heh, guess they were already pretty strong," I shrugged sheepishly while Clyde settled down next to me in a puddle of mud. "I got lucky with them."

"I think both of your Pokemon did an amazing job," Lillie said as she approached us, carefully avoiding the mud and dust. "They all tried their hardest to win for their Trainer. It's just a shame that only one side can win."

"Well, that's one way to look at it, I guess. Pokemon battles are just, like, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But you're only really a loser if you don't have any fun while you're at it. Right?" Hau flashed a smile as bright as the sun at us. "Now come on, let's go back to the Pokemon Center and heal up our teams. Tomorrow, we set off for the trial!" Before Lillie or I could even respond, Hau was pulling both of us towards the Pokemon Center.

* * *

 **The spare clothing is the Alola Sea Tank, White Pleated Shorts, Sporty White Bag, and the Blue Sea-Star Headband. In case anyone was wondering. Also, if you happen to see any typos, feel free to let me know. I sure as heck ain't perfect, and I tend to not notice errors when I'm going over the chapters on my phone.**


	15. Paniola Ranch

**Hey guys! What's up? I've got a bunch of AP tests coming up, so that's not very fun. But Gladion's finally gonna make an appearance in the anime, so I've got that going for me. I swear, if they screw up his character, I'm gonna have to go punch someone. I don't think they will, considering he already has a Pokemon with a friendship-based evolution with him, but still.**

 **By the way, from here on out, there's a higher chance of swear words being used. It won't happen too often for right now, but as the story progresses, the chance is gonna increase big-time.**

* * *

Early the next day, we left Paniola Town and started north towards the next trial. Pikipek could be heard tweeting and flittering about in the trees and the morning sun was warm on our were told this path also led to Paniola Ranch, Akala Island's biggest ranch. After a bit of talking, we all decided to take a look at the ranch before going to the trial.

"I bet we're gonna see all sorts of cool Pokemon!" Hau exclaimed as we walked through the gates.

"I'm sure we will," Lillie agreed. "It'll be nice to see how a ranch works with its Pokemon."

A person in ranch attire walked up to us. "Howdy there," he greeted us. "My name's Wesley. You must be trial-goers, right?"

"That's right," I said. "We decided to stop by here first and take a look around."

Wesley laughed. "Well, you all have a great sense of timing! The captain's actually here right now, so come on!" Wesley waved for us to follow him. Herds of Tauros and Miltank grazed on the grassy fields of the ranch. As Wesley told us about how the ranch functioned, we took in the various sights and, well, smells, of the ranch. One of the Miltank seemed to take note of our island challenge charms and ran off farther down the path. A few moments later, it came running back with a familiar green-haired girl in tow.

Mallow greeted us with a warm smile. "Nice of you all to drop by! The Moomoo Milk from Paniola Ranch is the best. It's so rich and creamy when you use it in white sauce and other things..." She closed her eyes and raised her head. "Mmm! The taste can't even be described!" The Miltank hummed along with her.

"Ooh, that sounds so good!" Hau sighed.

"It really is!" Mallow nodded. "If you ever happen to stop by Konikoni City, you should go to my family's restaurant and give it a try."

"We definitely will," I said. "So, Mallow, are you the captain for the nearby trial?"

Mallow laughed. "Me? Oh, gosh, no. My trial takes place in Lush Jungle. There's so many ingredients there. It's the perfect place for a trial! Oh, by the way! Since I was lucky enough to run into you guys here, I'll do you a little favor. Let me see your Ride Pagers for a sec." After Hau and I fished our pagers out of our bags and gave them to her, she began to type something into them. "Here you guys go! I went ahead and registered Stoutland to your pagers. See, Stoutland can sniff out items that are buried in the dirt that you can't even see!"

"That's so cool! Thanks, Mallow!" I said cheerfully as I took my pager back.

"You're welcome!" Mallow replied. "I'm sure Stoutland will come in handy during your island challenge. Speaking of which, if you continue up Route Five, you'll eventually come across Brooklet Hill. That's where the nearest trial site is. My friend Lana happens to be there, too, so say hi to her for me if you happen to see her!"

"We can do that! It's the least we can do in return for adding another Pokemon to our pagers, right guys?" Hau said.

"Of course," Lillie agreed.

"Awesome! Well, I gotta get back to the restaurant. I'll see you guys once you get to my trial! Have fun!" With a wave, Mallow ran off.

"Wow, I didn't realize the trial was so close!" Hau said as he turned back to our group. "Guess we have plenty of time to look around, huh?"

"Mallow didn't actually say how close the trial is," Lillie corrected, "but if she asked us to tell Lana hi, then I guess it must be fairly close."

A ferocious moo echoed towards us. Startled, we all turned to face the source of the noise. It was a Tauros. The Pokemon was backed into a corner of the fencing, and it was protesting against the rancher and Miltank near it.

"Ah, I suppose that Tauros is acting up again," Wesley sighed.

"Again?" Lillie asked. "Does this happen often?"

"Unfortunately, yes. You see, that Tauros is new to the ranch, and not only is he uncertain about his surroundings, he's a feisty one. He's got more energy for battle than anyone here can handle."

"Battle?" Hau repeated. "Well, maybe Alani and I can battle him and cut down on some of that energy. I'd say we're both pretty strong Trainers!" Hau grinned and gave me a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Ah, I-I don't think I'm that strong quite yet," I stuttered, "but if it will help, I can battle Tauros."

Wesley smiled. "Thank you so much! Let's head on over there then." We walked over to the scuffle. Wesley explained the plan to the younger rancher, and soon we were ready for a two-on-two battle with the Tauros and Wesley's Miltank.

Hau and I looked at each other and nodded. We had a short discussion as to what Pokemon we were going to start the battle with as we were setting up, so we were ready to roll.

"Ok, Chuchino, let's go!"

"Clyde, show 'em what we've got!"

Our Pokemon appeared on the battle field raring to go. The four Pokemon glanced at each other, sizing up their opponents. Tauros was the one to make the first move. Before Wesley was able to even give it a command, it roared and charged at our Pokemon. They jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the raging bull.

"Clyde, use Double Kick on Tauros!" Clyde ran up to Tauros and slammed his hind hooves into his opponent. Tauros staggered under the impact, allowing Clyde to land another hit.

"Double Kick! Nice choice, Alani!" Hau cheered. "We can do just as good, though! Chuchino, use Electro Ball on Miltank!" With a shout, Chuchino launched his attack at Miltank. Miltank tried to dodge the attack, but the ball of electricity was too fast for it, and it ended up getting hit square in the chest. Hau and Chuchino leapt in joy.

"Not bad!" Wesley commended. "We're not out of the picture just yet, though! Miltank, use Rollout on that Pikachu!" With a moo, Miltank charged and somersaulted towards Chuchino. It moved faster than Chuchino anticipated, and he was knocked back into Clyde, sending our Pokemon tumbling into a nearby fence.

I jumped. "Clyde, you alright?" Shaking himself off, Clyde looked at me and gave a hearty bray. "Thank goodness. Ok, we need to stop that Miltank. Use Bulldoze!"

"Tauros, keep Mudbray from getting its move off!" Tauros roared and barreled into Clyde. With the way Tauros was charging, I thought Clyde was going to be knocked out, but to my surprise, he was still standing.

"Zzt! You look a bit shocked!" Rotom said as he popped out of my bag again. "Clyde happens to have an ability called Stamina. Every time he getzz hit by an attack, his defenses will become stronger and he'll be able to withzztand more attacks, bzzt!"

"Awesome!" I cheered, turning back to the action. "Clyde, dodge those Pokemon and use Bulldoze!"

"Awright, Chuchino! You use Quick Attack and help keep Tauros and Miltank at bay, but be careful once Clyde pulls off Bulldoze!" Hau shouted. Chuchino joined the fray once again, dashing faster than we could see.

With Chuchino's help, Clyde was able to use his move. The ground shook with the impact, forcing our opponents to slow down as they tried to regain their footing. Chuchino took the opening to unleash a flurry of attacks, landing blow after blow. Tauros and Miltank tried to fight back, but the yellow mouse was simply too fast for them. Miltank went down fairly quickly, but Tauros kept on going. Wesley really wasn't kidding about how much energy it had. Clyde had to combine his strength with Chuchino to finally calm down the Pokemon.

"Well, I'll be! Are youngsters like you two really getting to be this strong?" Wesley chuckled as he recalled Miltank.

"Alani and Hau are very strong Trainers," Lillie said as she walked up to us. "It really is amazing how far they've come." Hau was practically radiating sunshine after her statement.

"Here, let me give you all a little something for your troubles." Wesley reached into his pocket and took out some Potions along with a small amount of cash. He divided it evenly and then handed a bundle to each of us. "It's not too much, but it should be enough to heal your Pokemon as well as help you buy supplies at your next stop, wherever that may be."

"Thank you, Mr. Wesley!" we all said as we gratefully accepted his gift.

"Just Wesley is fine," he said. "Now, run along! As captain Mallow said earlier, the trial site isn't much farther."

"W-Wesley!"

A young farmhand ran up to us, panting hard. The look in his eyes made him seem like he just saw something terrifying.

"Ah, is it the Rattata again? I keep telling you, it can't possibly be that bad. Just set the Yungoos on 'em, and then problem solved!" Wesley huffed.

"No, you don't understand," the farmhand wheezed. "The Rattata... There's so many of them! Even our Yungoos can't get rid of all of them!"

Shaking his head, Wesley turned back to us. "I hate to bother you all again right after I told you you could go, but do you think you kids could help us with this?"

Hau bobbed his head. "Of course! A few Rattata shouldn't be a problem! Let's go!"

We were led over to the building where the Rattata problem was. It didn't seem like a place where Pokemon or people would sleep, so I figured it was probably a grain storehouse. No wonder Rattata were going after it.

"I-it's really bad," the farmhand mumbled as he opened the doors with shaking hands. "I've never seen anything like this."

With a final shove, the doors flew open, and we were greeted by the sight of thousands of luminescent, beady eyes staring right at us. A few seconds passed, and then it was as if the gates of hell burst open. A seemingly endless river of Rattata and Raticate began flooding out of the door. Screaming, we all bolted to get away from the swarm.

I made a dash for the nearby forest, tripping over what felt like every rock and branch along the way. My lungs burned as they took in the humid air, making me want to stop, but one glance back at the mass of black fur filled me with adrenaline and I forced myself to keep going. Soon, though, I tired, and the swarm of Pokemon began to catch up to me.

One of my Pokeballs burst open, revealing Puppers as the culprit. He glared at the wild Pokemon and unleashed a massive flame, scattering them back into the trees. A dark tunnel of burnt plants remained where Puppers' attack was.

"Puppers, how..." My thought trailed off as I watched Puppers run around in pride at what he did.

Rotom floated up next to me. "That'zz unusual! Puppers just used Flamethrower, but Growlithe and Arcanine alike don't normally learn that move, bzzt! Lookzz like you got lucky."

"That's putting it lightly," I breathed. Pulling out some PokeBeans, I knelt down and gave them to Puppers. "Thanks, Puppers. You came out in the nick of time. I was nearly trampled!"

As my Pokemon continued to crunch on the beans, I surveyed the area, not that it did me much good. Not only was I flat-out new to the Alola region, but I was on an island other than Melemele. Identical trees formed a sea all around me. I had no clue where I was. I couldn't even ask Lillie or Hau if they could recognize anything-during the chase, we somehow managed to get separated.

"Bzzt! Hey, Alani, did you forget zzat I have a map function or something?" I mentally chided myself after Rotom spoke up. I hadn't used it much before now, so I had completely forgotten about it.

I glanced at my floating companion. "Right. Could you pull it up?" A map depicting Akala Island showed up on the screen, as well as a smiley face that pinpointed our location. "Hmm... Looks like we're super off-course. If we go north, we might be able to get to that Pokemon Center by nightfall."

Rotom buzzed happily as he put away the map. "So it'zz settled. Let's go, zzt!"

"I just hope Lillie and Hau are ok. Especially Lillie. Hau at least has his team to protect him, but Lillie doesn't even have any Pokemon!"

"I'm sure we'll run into them again, zzt! Don't worry! Maybe we'll even find them at the Pokemon Center! It'zz a hope worth holding!"

* * *

I originally had my entire team out to walk with me, but as day turned into night, I called them back to let them rest. Only Creampuff remained out, keeping me awake with her running and barking.

"Heh, where'd you get all of this energy now, huh?" I quietly laughed as I knelt down to pet her. "Can you share some of it with me? I think I'm gonna need a bit if we're gonna get to the Pokemon Center anytime soon."

Just then, the faint sounds of a Pokemon battle made their way to my ears. Signaling Creampuff to be quiet, I made my way through the bushes, the sounds growing louder, yet also starting to die out.

I heard a familiar voice along with the sound of a Pokemon being returned. I peered over the bush in front of me and saw Hau and a blond kid in dark clothing facing each other.

Hau put his hands behind his head. "Ha ha ha! Man, I lost again!"

The other boy scowled. "Are you even taking this seriously?"

"I am! So seriously! I'm seriously enjoying it!"

"Enjoying it?" The boy shook his head in exasperation. "You can enjoy Pokemon battling when you put everything you have into it...which clearly you haven't."

My eyes narrowed. I wasn't sure what was up with this kid, but anyone who was rude to someone as nice as Hau couldn't possibly be a good person. I stood up and walked over to Hau, Creampuff trotting along behind me.

"Woah! Alani, you're ok!" Hau said in surprise. "Watch out, though. This guy's plenny scary!"

The boy opposing us raised an eyebrow. "You're Alani?"

I wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, people usually introduced themselves when they first meet someone. On the other hand, I didn't trust the looks of this guy. Now that I was closer, I could see that his clothing had all sorts of rips and tears in it, making him look even more formidable. And made me not want to be near him even more.

"...Maybe?"

"Hmm. So you have enough sense to be wary. Not bad..." The boy closed his eyes, then opened them to glare at me, emerald eyes meeting my brown ones. "I'm Gladion. I battle for my partner, Null, to make it strong. Though most of our time gets used up doing smaller jobs for Team Skull."

I winced when he mentioned Skull, but he didn't seem to notice. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible and find Lillie. If there was one Skull member, there were surely others nearby. I tried to slink away, but I felt his eyes on me, and it seemed to hold me in place.

"Battle me. I won't take no for an answer."

* * *

 **...I needed an excuse to separate the group, ok? Also,** **Growlithe cannot learn Flamethrower via leveling up, and those trees should have caught fire instead of just being singed. I, however, do not care. Plus, that's a lot of forest that would burn, and Alani doesn't exactly have any Water-types.**

 **And now the edgelord makes his appearance, too! I'm gonna appologize now for every time I write him ooc. Cuz that's probably gonna happen quite a few times. The battle will take place next chapter! Once again, feel free to leave a review if you have any questions, noticed a typo, or just want to say something about the story! Have a great week!**


	16. Gladion

**Early update cuz I got stuff to do tomorrow! I've somehow managed to stay a couple weeks ahead on chapters. I honestly thought there'd end up being a mini-hiatus on Akala, but thankfully, that hasn't happened. Oh, there is a tiny bit of cursing in this chapter. Like, two words. I don't have a whole lot else to say up here, so let's get to it!**

* * *

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"You heard me." Gladion grumbled. "I know you're a Trainer: you've got a Rockruff tailing you. We're battling, whether you like it or not." Gladion pulled a Pokeball from his pouch and sent out a Zubat. It fluttered in the moonlight, waiting for its Trainer to give it a command.

I took a deep breath. There was no getting out of this one. "Ok, Creampuff, let's get this over with."

Gladion grimaced. "What kind of a name is 'Creampuff?' It sounds pathetic."

"It's the name I gave her, and she'll show you just how wrong you are! Rock Throw!" Creampuff created several rocks and hurled them at the Zubat in front of her.

"Dodge it and use Bite," Gladion commanded, hand shaking. His Zubat zigged and zagged around the rocks and managed to land a hit on Creampuff.

I frowned. "Shake it off and bite it back!" Creampuff rolled around, attempting to get her opponent to lose its grip. Zubat went sprawling into the dirt, and she used the opening to bite down hard on one of its wings. "Yeah, Creampuff! Keep it up!"

"Use Wing Attack! Get out of there!"

Zubat flailed about, trying its hardest to break free, but Creampuff kept her grip firm. Zubat was flung into a tree, being knocked out in the process.

"Hah! How's that for pathetic?" I laughed in triumph. This guy wasn't much stronger than the other Skull members I've fought. How in the world did Hau manage to lose to him?

"Tch." Gladion rolled his eyes as he recalled his fallen Zubat. "You may have have had the type advantage against Pouli, but there's no way you'll beat Null."

The gears in my head started turning as he reached for his next Pokemon. I had thought that Null was Gladion's Zubat, but as I thought about it, it seemed ridiculous. Of course Hau wouldn't lose to just a Zubat. Whatever Null was, it was the Pokemon that wiped out Hau's team. "Get ready, Creampuff," I murmured. Creampuff shifted back into a fighting stance.

"Null! Let's go!" Gladion whipped out the Pokeball in his hand, and a Pokemon I had never seen before appeared. I instinctively took a step back. It didn't seem like it was even supposed to exist. It had a fish-like tail, dog-like hind legs, insect-like front legs, feathers on its neck, and a giant mask covering its head. The energy the Pokemon gave off was extremely unsettling. Creampuff cowered away from the massive Pokemon, unsure of what to make of it.

"Zrrt... I...don't have any data on this Pokemon," Rotom tentatively buzzed, "but from what I can gather, it appearzz to be a synthetic Pokemon. It'z giving me the creeps, bzzt!"

"Alani, watch out!" Hau's voice brought me back from my daze. I was so startled by Null's appearance that I didn't even realize it was charging at Creampuff. The Pokemon rammed into my own, sending her tumbling into a nearby tree. I winced. That one was my fault. I should've been paying more attention.

"Creampuff!" I cried out. "Are you alright?" A weak bark came from the toppled tree. Creampuff removed herself from the wreckage and shook herself off. She faced her opponent again, ready to take it on. "Thank goodness. Ok, use Sand Attack to create cover!" Creampuff began running in circles, kicking up as much dirt and sand as she could. A cloud of dust soon covered the battle field.

"Do you really think that's gonna stop Null?" Gladion deadpanned. "Use X-Scissor!" Null roared and jumped into the cloud with glowing claws. When it landed, it looked around in confusion. It had missed its target.

"Well, I don't know, it could make Null miss, but its not like that could happen, right?" I said sarcastically before giving Creampuff directions. "Creampuff, use Rock Throw, but stay hidden!" Rocks began launching themselves at Null, who was still trying in vain to see through the dust. It grunted and Trainer and Pokemon alike grew more frustrated as the rocks continued their assault.

"Come on, Null, use Pursuit until you find that Rockruff!" Gladion shouted. Null dashed around blindly in hopes of running into Creampuff. Unfortunately for us, it did manage to land a hit, and Creampuff was soon sprawled out in front of me.

"Oh no!" I yelped as I knelt down. "Creampuff... You did really good. Rest up." In a red flash, I returned Creampuff to her Pokeball. I looked at Null carefully before selecting my next Pokemon. I couldn't tell what type it was. Nearly every part of its body looked like a different type. Clearing my head, I reached for my starter's Pokeball and sent him out. Pueo landed in front of me, carefully avoiding the dirt that was kicked up previously.

"A Dartrix, huh?" Gladion said. "Not bad. But not good enough! Take 'em down, Null!" His Pokemon roared and made a beeline for Pueo. Pueo gracefully flew into the air, avoiding being trampled by the beast below.

"Razor Leaf!" At my word, Pueo unleashed a flurry of razor-sharp leaves, leaving various small cuts all over Null.

"Knock it out of the sky with X-Scissor!" Null leapt into the air and faced Pueo. My Pokemon tried to dodge, but Null's front claws connected with his wing, forcing him back to the ground.

"Pueo, can you keep going?" Pueo scrambled back up and hooted confidently. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Ok then, use Astonish!" Pueo flew up to Null and used the move, but Null look completely unfazed. I stared wide-eyed at what had happened.

"Null's not affected by Ghost-type moves, idiot," Gladion taunted. "Now, Null! Show them what power really is!" Null slammed into Pueo headfirst, forcing Pueo back several feet.

"Ok, so it's at least part Normal-type," I thought out loud. "Good to know. Pueo, use Pluck!" With a rustle of feathers, Pueo went back to his opponent and jabbed it with his beak multiple times. Null roared in pain and spun to attack its assailant. Pueo dodged just in time to avoid the mask smashing into him.

I could tell Null was getting tired. Its movements were getting incredibly sloppy. The question of whether or not Gladion even healed his Pokemon before challenging me crossed my mind. He did seem to wipe out Hau's team fairly quickly. Maybe he thought he'd be able to wipe the floor with me just as easily? He did seem rather agitated with how the battle was going. I shook the thought from my head. It wasn't important. What was important was winning the battle at hand.

"Finish this with one last Razor Leaf!" Pueo spread his wings and unleashed another flurry of leaves. The leaves hit their target, making it collapse from exhaustion.

Gladion covered his irritated expression with his hand as he recalled Null. "...Hmph. It's not like me to slip up like that. I've got to keep fighting stronger opponents. Looks like I'm still not ready..." He glanced at Hau, who was standing behind me and cheering. "That kid there. His Pokemon aren't weak. And sure, it's fine to enjoy battling... But this brat! He's just using that as an excuse not to try hard because he can't beat the kahuna. Because he can't beat Hala when he's serious!" I could feel the venom in Gladion's words as he spat them out.

"You know my gramps?" Hau gave Gladion a cheerful but questioning look. "Wait. So you think I'm strong?"

Gladion was about to retort, but a voice interrupted his thought.

"Awww, look at you, little Gladion! Aren't you just a real cool guy? Heh heh heh..."

We all looked down the pathway to see two Skull grunts dancing their way over to us. These two seemed rougher than the grunts I had run into multiple times back on Melemele. If it weren't for their dancing, they'd actually be intimidating.

"I guess it's no surprise the homeless kid would turn out to be spineless, too, huh?" The female grunt shook her head and glowered at me and Hau. "No worries! We've got enough backbone to cover for you! We can take care of these punks, unlike _your_ weak ass!"

The grunts started walking toward us with Pokeballs in hand. Pueo and I shifted, ready for battle.

Gladion stood his ground. "Stop," he barked. "What you're about to do is pointless. Just give it up already." The grunts turned and looked at him. "You know you can't beat me. You'll just get your Pokemon hurt for no reason. They're good Pokemon." I couldn't tell whose Pokemon he was talking about with his last sentence, but it was at least enough to get the grunts to stop their advance.

The female grunt glared at Gladion. "We came all this way, and for what? For a big fat waste of our time, thanks to you. If you hadn't gotten in our way, we could've stolen the Totem Pokemon from Brooklet Hill!" She sighed and turned to her companion. "Let's get going. Look, the Murkrow are crying, and it's high time we should be flying."

The grunts started to leave, but one of them paused next to Gladion. "Listen up good, Gladion. The boss does like you. That's true," he began. "But you're just some hired help we keep around for when we need you. You aren't a part of Team Skull, not really. And you _never_ _will be_. Got it? You better get it." He stalked away, leaving the three of us staring after them.

"Gladion..." I hesitantly began. "What those Skull grunts said... Are you alright?" Despite how rude Gladion seemed to be, I was still concerned after what those grunts said to him.

"Forget it," he huffed, walking away. "You two don't know shit." Before I could say anything else, he disappeared into the trees.

"Hey, Alani." Hau's hand on my shoulder brought him to my attention. "Thanks. And Pueo and Creampuff, too. It was a good battle. It was awesome to see you guys battle at full strength, even after having to wander around all day."

A thought crossed my mind. "Ah, that reminds me. Lillie! We still haven't found her. And it's getting pretty late. Battling Gladion took up more time than I thought it would."

"Hm, you're right," Hau agreed. "Hopefully one of us will run into her soon. I'm going to go train some more. Looks like I'll need it if I'm gonna take on the trial at Brooklet Hill! I'll try to find a way to contact you if I happen to find Lillie. You should let me know if you find her first! I'll see you later!"

After healing my Pokemon and returning them, I continued down the path. Alone again, my thoughts drifted back to everything that just happened. What did Gladion mean when he said Hau couldn't beat Hala if he was serious? Did Hau not actually beat Hala before leaving with us for Akala? That couldn't be right. Hau wouldn't have gotten a Z-Ring if he didn't complete the Grand Trial. At least, that's what I thought. If that wasn't the case, and Hau didn't beat Hala, then that would seem like Hala was giving Hau an advantage simply because they were related.

Gladion soon took up most of my thoughts. Who was he? He didn't seem much older than me, yet it seemed like he had gone through so many hardships in life. And then there was the Skull grunt that called him homeless. Was he really homeless? What happened? Why did they seem to hate him? I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. It didn't matter. I probably wouldn't even see him again, let alone talk to him. There was no need to overthink this.

I eventually saw the red roof of a Pokemon Center down the road. With a final burst of energy, I ran the rest of the way to it. Not long after I stepped inside, I was tackled into a hug by the very friend I was hoping to find.

Lillie was nearly sobbing. "Alani! Thank goodness you're safe! I was so worried when we got separated."

I returned the hug. "Hey, I was more worried about you! Glad you're all right."

"Nebby and I managed to get here not too long after the Rattata started chasing us, but you and Hau never showed up..." Lillie jolted as she remembered something. "Hau! Where is he? Did you find him?"

"Yeah, actually. He ran off to do some more training, but he's somewhere in the area."

Lillie smiled in relief. "That's good. I'm glad you two didn't run into any trouble."

I considered telling her about our run-in with Gladion and the other grunts, but I held my tongue. She seemed to be scared of Team Skull, and if I told her we came across some of the more intimidating members, she'd probably flip out.

"Oh, by the way," Lillie continued, "I managed to get us a room for the night. I explained the situation to Nurse Joy, and she was kind enough to give me a room, despite me not having the island challenge charm."

I smiled, thoughts of Team Skull disappearing. "That's awesome! Thanks, Lillie! Let's go ahead and get some sleep. We've all had a long day."

* * *

 **Null does not know X-Scissor when you first meet Gladion. Once again, I do not care. I also don't know how Rock Throw works, so just roll along with my bs, m'kay?**

 **Once again, feel free to leave a comment if you wanna say something or spot any errors. I type all of these on my phone, so it can be hard for me to catch mistakes when I make 'em. Hope ya'll have a fantastic week!**


	17. The Trial of Brooklet Hill

**Happy Mother's Day! I hope all of you can go show your mom (or moms) you care about her. If circumstances keep you from being able to do that, I will temporarily adopt all of you.**

 **Also, I'm finally done with high school! Not that there's a whole lot of people here that would actually care! But it's still awesome! Seriously, it's so nice to not have to worry about anything school-related for awhile. I've been suffocating under the pressure of classes, and now, it's like a weight has been lifted.**

 **Onto the story!**

* * *

The next morning, I set out for the entrance to the trial, Lillie wishing me luck. I wasn't sure what type of trial to expect, but with how the air was thick with humidity, I decided it was probably a water-based trial. My brows furrowed at the thought. Aside from Pueo and Mestrix, my entire team was weak to Water-types. This had the potential of being a very rough trial, but if I wanted to keep going, I had to complete it.

I approached the bridge where two men seemed to be standing guard. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I walked up to them.

"Hi, um, does this happen to be the entrance to the Brooklet Hill trial?" I asked.

"Yes, it is," one of the men answered with a smile. "The trial captain's currently with another Trainer, but she should be ready for you soon. Just wait here for a few minutes, and she'll be right up."

I nodded and sat down next to a tree, sending out Pueo and Mestrix to keep me company as well as form a battle plan with them. Right as we finished, a young girl with blue hair walked up to me.

"Excuse me, but are you the Trainer that talked to the trial guides?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's me," I answered as I stood up. "I'm Alani. What's your name?"

The girl smiled. "My name's Lana. I'm the trial captain here at Brooklet Hill."

I perked up slightly at the name. "Oh, you're Lana? Mallow says hi."

Lana giggled. "Leave it to Mallow to find some way to say hi to her friends. Anyways, are you ready to take on the trial?"

"I think I'm ready." I returned my Pokemon to their Pokeballs and looked back at Lana. "Where do we start?"

* * *

Brooklet Hill was gorgeous. Pools of crystal-clear water surrounded the pathway Lana led me down. I could hear the cries of Pokemon in the distance, and if I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine being alone, engulfed by the beauty of nature.

Farther down the path, the ponds started to get in the way, and Lana registered a Lapras to my pager. I had a rather rocky start to learning how to direct Lapras, mostly stemming from me not wanting to get seasick again, but I got eventually got the hang of it. Once I was no longer moving like a Meowth that was thrown into water, Lana directed me to investigate the splashing occurring in the middle of the pond, saying it could possibly be a dashing swimmer in need of assistance. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, but all she did was give me a cheeky grin.

To my slight relief, the splashing was not a swimmer, but in fact a Pokemon called Wishiwashi. It was hardly a problem, and Mestrix was able to take it down with ease. After I beat it, it swam down a waterfall, going deeper into Brooklet Hill. Lana and I continued down the path, with her sending me out to various ripples in the water, all being caused by a Wishiwashi.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but are we almost to the Totem Pokemon yet?" I inquired.

"We're almost there," Lana responded. The words had hardly left her mouth when rain started to fall from the sky. She hummed and looked at me again. "Say... Did you know that Brooklet Hill is home to one of the most powerful Water-type Pokemon in the world?"

My attention was grabbed by her question. "Really? What kind of Pokemon is it?" I began picking through the Water-types I knew of. Maybe it was a Gyarados, like the one in the Lake of Rage in the Johto region. Or maybe a Blastoise-they were incredibly rare in the wild, but the ones that did exist were incredibly powerful.

Lana giggled. "Well, it's a Legendary Pokemon said to be the embodiment of the sea itself-the mighty Kyogre!"

I deflated at her answer. "Wait, doesn't Kyogre live in the Hoenn region? And, I'm pretty sure some kids called May and Brendan return it to slumber a few years ago."

Lana paused for a moment, then laughed. "Heh, and here I thought I'd be able to trick you like most of the other trial-goers. I suppose you won't be fooled easily, Alani. But even if Kyogre isn't here, we are near the sea, and you can't ignore this rain." The drizzle from hardly a few minutes prior was slowly turning into a downpour, drenching everything in the area. "Water-types have the advantage in the rain. There must be a very powerful Pokemon that's causing it. And since we just walked through the Captain's gate, it's time for you to find the source of it!"

I turned around, and sure enough, the weathered gate was around the path we were just on. I hadn't even noticed that we walked through them.

"Now, this place is called the Totem's Den. You should be able to find the Totem Pokemon known as the lord of the ocean over at that spray of water." Lana pointed to the middle of the bay, where a small gush of water was rising. "Those Wishiwashi you battled earlier may also want their revenge... Defeat whatever comes at you and prove your strength to me! Let the trial begin!"

I paged Lapras again, and we set off for the spray of water. Since the Totem Pokemon on Melemele were both the evolutions of the Pokemon in Verdant Cavern, I figured that the Brooklet Hill Totem Pokemon would also be an evolution of Pokemon I had faced along the way. I tried to get Rotom to spill as to what Wishiwashi evolved into, but it wouldn't budge, saying that Wishiwashi had no evolution. Frustrated, I gave up and started to mentally prepare myself for battle.

Thunder began to crash over the open sea, startling both Lapras and me. The shadows of fish started swarming just beneath the surface, circling around Lapras. With shaking hands, I began to reach for Pueo's Pokeball. No sooner had I grabbed it that the water in front of me rippled and exploded as the form of a huge and monstrous fish broke the surface. I screamed in shock as the creature roared at me. This had to be the Totem Pokemon.

"Pueo, you can do this!" I shouted as I sent out my partner. Pueo perched on a nearby rock. He cast an unamused look at the rain clouds, but I could tell by his posture that he was raring to go.

At my nod, Pueo unleashed a flurry of leaves at the Totem Pokemon. The leaves hit their mark, and it almost seemed like the fish rippled with each impact.

"Bzzt! Lookz like that's gonna be the best way of defeating Wishiwashi!" Rotom remarked from the safety of my bag.

"What are you talking about?" I yelled over the crashing waves. "I don't see any of those Wishiwashi from before, just the Totem Pokemon!"

"That'zz because they _are_ the Totem Pokemon, bzzt! Look closer!"

Following Rotom's advice, I urged Lapras to swim closer to the battle between Pueo and the giant fish. Sure enough, as soon as I got closer, I saw that the giant fish was actually a bunch of Wishiwashi grouped together. Every time one of them got hit, the school would shift and bring the wounded Pokemon closer to the center of the school.

"Pueo!" I shouted. "The Wishiwashi are shifting to protect the injured ones! Try and break up the school!" Pueo nodded his head and dive-bombed the giant fish-shaped school. The Wishiwashi were forced to scramble as the grass owl made his way through the formation, attacking as many of the fish as possible along the way.

The Wishiwashi grew increasingly irritated. As soon as they regrouped, they unleashed a giant blast of water, knocking Pueo into a nearby cliff. The water created a huge current of air as well, blowing me off of Lapras.

Water roared around me as I was forced under the surface. The currents being kicked up by the Wishiwashi were making it nearly impossible to get back up. I silently screamed in terror as I was tossed about like a rag doll in the churning waves. If I hit a rock while I was stuck down there, I was done for. I should have realized that a Water-type trial meant that I'd find myself having to swim at some point, but for some reason, I assumed that I'd be able to stay on Lapras the entire time. I forgot to take into account how I could easily be knocked off the Ride Pokemon, and now, I was paying the price for my ignorance.

Just as I thought all hope was lost for me, I felt myself being dragged by the collar of my Ride Suit. Whatever was pulling me pulled me out of the churning waves. Coughing up water, I opened my eyes to see that it was Lapras that had saved me. It dropped me back in the seat, and I hugged it and caught my breath before refocusing on the battle.

Pueo had been holding his own against the school of Wishiwashi while I was floundering under the waves. He soared through the air left and right, dodging the incoming jets of water, all while dishing out his own attacks. I could tell Pueo was getting tired, though. He was losing his usual grace, and it wasn't just because of the rain.

An idea popped into my head. I still had some berries from when I was at the Berry Farm. If Pueo had a couple of those, he'd get some energy back, and maybe, just maybe, we'd both have enough energy for a Z-Move.

"Pueo! Fall back for a sec!"

I struggled to get my Pokemon's attention over the roar of the storm, but eventually, Pueo flew back over to me and perched on a nearby rock, breathing heavily. Glancing out to make sure the Wishiwashi weren't about to ram us into the water, I fished out some Oran Berries from my bag and held them out to him.

"Here's some berries. You'll need the energy." Pueo gratefully accepted them, downing all of the berries with just a few pecks. "So, this thing's pretty tough, and you've been doing an awesome job battling it, but it doesn't seem like it's going down anytime soon." As if to prove my point, the Wishiwashi began charging at us, and we were forced to scramble out of the way of the fish. Pueo used Razor Leaf a few more times to keep it at bay, then flew back over to me. "Ok, so I think it's time we use a Z-Move." I looked at the Normalium Z-Crystal sitting in my Z-Ring. "I... I just hope I can do it right."

Pueo nodded at me as if to reassure me, then started to get ready for the move. I smiled. To think that this was the same Pokemon that, hardly a few days ago, would barely listen to me!

I tapped the Z-Crystal, and it began to shine with an otherworldly light. Steeling myself, I began to perform the dance needed to activate the Z-Move. The energy from the crystal was crackling through the air surrounding me and my Pokemon. I struck the final pose, and Pueo charged at the Wishiwashi at breakneck speed. Upon impact, the school of fish burst apart, scattering them across the bay. They fled, and the rain they were causing began to dissipate.

I looked up at Pueo, who was flying back to shore, and smiled. We did it. We managed to beat the Totem Pokemon. It was a tough battle, despite Pueo having a type advantage. But we still cleared the trial, and I couldn't have been happier. Well, I could have if I didn't nearly drown, but that's besides the point.

Once Lapras brought me back to the beach, I sat down on solid ground and hugged my waterlogged Pokemon. He shuffled in slight annoyance, but eventually rested his head on my shoulder, glad to be done with the battle.

"I'd be lying if I said I'm not disappointed that the Wishiwashi I diligently trained were swept away, but at least it was to a worthy Trainer such as yourself, Alani." Lana walked up to me with a shining blue crystal in her hand and held it out. "You were amazing out there. Truly impressive. Despite unforeseen circumstances, you were able to guide your Pokemon to victory, and you knew when the moment called for a Z-Move. By completing my trial, you've earned Waterium Z. Allow me to show you how to use it." After I took the crystal, Lana performed the dance to activate the crystal's power. It didn't look nearly as intense as the ones for Normalium Z and Fightingium Z, but I was sure the Z-Move would be just as powerful. If I ever had to use it, of course.

"I have something else for you as well." Lana walked over to a rock and pulled out a fishing rod from behind it. "This is a Lana original. It's one of my handmade fishing rods."

My eyes widened in shock. "Handmade? No way. That must have been so hard to make. I can't just take that."

Lana shook her head. "Honestly, I don't usually give these to trial-goers, but your battle really was something else. I feel like you can make good use of this."

Somewhat reluctantly, I took the fishing rod and put it in my bag along with the Z-Crystal. "Thank you, Lana. Really."

"You're welcome," Lana said. A small smile appeared on her face. "By the way... Did you know I once reeled in a red Gyarados?"

I chuckled. "Lana, the only known sighting of a red Gyarados is at Johto's Lake of Rage, and I would've heard if someone other than Lance managed to reel it in."

"Ah, so that's why you seem to know more about these rare Water-types than most trial-goers," Lana said. "I take it you're from Johto?"

"Kanto, actually," I said as I stood up, "but I have been to Johto a few times."

"That's still quite the journey to come here," Lana remarked. "If anything, there's a larger time difference between Alola and Kanto."

"Yeah. It's a twelve hour difference."

"I guess if the sun's shining here, the moon must be shining down on Kanto." Lana smiled. "Come on. Let's head back to the Pokemon Center. I'm sure your friend's waiting."

* * *

Lana and I walked into the Pokemon Center. A nearly dry young girl and a teenager that looked like a wet Meowth-it must have been quite the sight to see, though not an uncommon one. People glanced up and continued about their own business.

"Alani!" Lillie said as walked up to me. "How'd your trial go?"

I grinned and pulled out the items I got from Lana. "Well, I made it out alive, and I got a new Z-Crystal and a fishing rod, so I guess you could say it went pretty well."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Lillie reached out to hug me, but then she realized I was still sopping wet. She backed up a bit with a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, I should probably dry myself and Pueo before we head out," I laughed.

"Once you do, I recommend heading to Kiawe's trial next," Lana spoke up. "His trial is at Wela Volcano Park. You can get there if you head down Route Six and cut through Royal Avenue. Maybe you could even participate in a Battle Royal while you're there!"

"Battle Royal?" I echoed.

"Oh, do they not have Battle Royals in Kanto? That's a shame. I don't want to spoil too much, but if you do decide to try one, you're in for a treat!" Lana glanced at the doors. "Well, I should go see the next trial-goer. Good luck on your island challenge!"

"Thanks, Lana!" I called out after her.

"Well, I suppose you should go change now," Lillie murmured. "I'm guessing you'd like to get to Royal Avenue as soon as possible?"

"Yeah. Definitely before tonight. That 'Battle Royal' sounds pretty interesting."

I left my Pokemon with Nurse Joy and went to dry myself off. An hour later, all of us were ready to go, and we set off for Royal Avenue.

* * *

 **It's really hard to try and give canon characters more personality when they display close to none. I'm trying my best, though!**

 **I'm hoping that I'll be able to write more chapters since I finally have free time. If I can, I'm hoping to bump up the number of chapters per week. But I can't promise anything. Especially when I keep hitting a writing block every couple of chapters. Plus, Splatoon 2 comes out later this summer. That's gonna be super fun! See you all next week!**


	18. Confronting the Thieves(the Fourth Time)

**Sup. Tbh, I nearly forgot to upload this, so sorry if there's stuff I forgot to edit in the chapter. I'm pretty sure there's not, but I have a bit of a headache, so I don't really feel like checking.**

* * *

Lillie and I had barely made it to Route Six when we saw what looked like some form of barricade in the distance. As we drew closer, the forms of Sudowoodo blocking the road became distinct. There were a few young kids trying to force their way around the blockade, but they weren't able to get the Pokemon to budge.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Ok, I'm used to seeing Snorlax or even the occasional old man blocking roads, but Sudowoodo? That's a new one."

"Old man?" Lillie gave me a questioning look.

"There's a guy back in Viridian City that acts a bit odd if he doesn't get his coffee," I explained. "It can be a bit of a problem for the public, but he doesn't mean any harm. I think."

Lillie still looked confused, but she shook it off as she tried to get Nebby to settle down in her bag. "Anyways, we still have to get past these Sudowoodo. Should you send Puppers out to scare them off? I'm sure they'll run at the sight of a Fire-type Pokemon."

"Nah, I wouldn't count on that," I said. "Sudowoodo are actually Rock-types, despite posing as trees."

Lillie looked surprised. "Oh, really? I... I never knew that."

Some of the kids noticed us and walked over. "Yep! Sudowoodo are hard as rock! Ya know, these Sudowoodo were causing problems earlier, too, but Lana was able to get them to run away with a Z-Move! Like, woosh! Pow! They ran away really fast when they saw how much water Lana's Pokemon was using! Too bad she's busy with the trials right now. She could've washed them away again!"

"Wait, a Z-Move? So, she used a crystal like this, right?" I pulled out the Waterium Z that I had gotten from Lana earlier. As soon as it glinted in the light, I saw a ripple run through the ranks of Sudowoodo. They started to chatter in fright, then they made a mad dash for the trees.

"I guess they still remember the Z-Move," Lillie giggled. "You didn't even have to use it to get them to clear the road."

"That's good. Especially since none of my Pokemon even know Water-type moves." I put the crystal back in my bag.

"You made the Sudowoodo go away! Now we can go see the Battle Royals! Thank you, miss!" The kids cheered and chased each other down the path. Laughing, Lillie and I also started walking to Royal Avenue.

"I should have known Sudowoodo are Rock-types," Lillie said. "I mean, they don't even look like trees!"

"Well, they do look a bit like overly tall bonsai trees," I pointed out. "And, seriously, there's no need to worry about it. There's so many Pokemon in the world, it's gotta be impossible to know all of them!"

"You're right," Lillie sighed. "I should stop being so hard on myself. It's just that my...nevermind. It's not important."

I raised a brow, but I didn't push it. By this point, I'd learned a few things about Lillie, one of those things being anytime she came close to talking about her family, she'd shut down and refuse to talk. It must have been a touchy subject for her.

I decided to steer our conversation away from her family. "You know, with all these other Pokemon having different "Alolan" forms, you'd think Sudowoodo would have adapted to a more tropical form, like, I dunno, a palm tree or something?"

Lillie giggled. "Yeah. A bonsai tree really does look out of place in a tropical region like Alola."

We continued walking along the dirt path, occasionally commenting on the flowers lining the path or pausing so that I could battle a wild Pokemon that jumped out at us. I even managed to find another Zygarde Cell hiding in the bushes.

It didn't take long for us to approach what appeared to be the entrance to Royal Avenue. There were three people and a large horse-like Pokemon standing in the way, seemingly in an argument. As Lillie and I inched closer, we could see that a young girl was talking sternly to some people dressed in Skull uniforms, one of them holding a purple balloon.

As she was scolding the grunts, she noticed us out of the corner of her eye. "You there. Trainer. Can you come to my aid? Over here."

The grunts looked offended that she stopped talking to them. "Yo, yo, yo! Don't go turning your backside on us!"

"And YOU!" The other grunt pointed a finger at me. "You're that numbskull Trainer from Melemele, yo! What're you doing here?" I realized that these were the same grunts that I kept running into ever since I met with Ilima at the marina. I honestly wouldn't have recognized them had they not mentioned it.

The girl raised a brow and looked me over. "These scoundrels are Pokemon thieves. And you're on familiar terms with them?"

"I-I wouldn't put it like that..." I stammered, still not fully certain of what I just walked into.

"Humph. So be it." The girl put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Life in the big city sure is something else. Pokemon thieves roam about brazenly..."

"Woah now, hold the name-calling, yo! It's a legitimate business!" The grunts pulled out their Pokeballs and tossed them, sending out their Pokemon. "We got straight messed up in Melemele...got exiled to Akala...but we ain't goin' out like that!"

"Perhaps we should team up for this," the girl suggested. "I trust your Pokemon are strong enough?"

"Yeah," I said as I sent out Puppers. "Let's do this."

"Yo, yo, 'A! Let's wreck these chumps, yo!" The grunt, who I remembered was called B, cheered and struck the signature Skull pose.

"You got that right, 'B! Zubat, use Wing attack on that Growlithe!" Zubat flew in and bashed Puppers with its wings. It hardly fazed him, and he countered with a strong Bite.

"Honua, use Stomp on Drowzee." The Pokemon at the girl's side ran up to Drowzee and bashed it into the ground before it was able to dodge out of the way.

"Puppers! Roast them with Flamethrower!" Puppers barked and unleashed a blast of fire, scorching our opponents' Pokemon.

B looked at his Pokemon. "Drowzee, that Mudsdale is messin' us up, yo! Use Psychic and knock it into Growlithe!"

Drowzee began to concentrate and lift Honua into the air. Honua bucked and brayed, trying to break free from the psychic power. Puppers tried to go disrupt Drowzee's move, but Zubat constantly pestered him, preventing him from moving forward. Drowzee slammed Honua into Puppers and Zubat, sending the Pokemon sprawling into the nearby trees.

A gave B a bewildered look. "Yo, B, what the heck, yo? My Zubat was still there! That ain't fair!"

B crossed his arms and nonchalantly shrugged. "Not my fault. You knew what my plan was, yo. Shoulda told your Zubat to move outta the way."

The girl I was battling with shook her head. "These two don't really know how to battle together, do they? Let's show them how real Trainers battle."

At our command, Honua and Puppers burst from the plant growth and teamed up on Drowzee. Honua kicked it towards Puppers, who bit down hard on his opponent. Drowzee cried out as it was tossed down at its Trainer's feet.

"Bah, fine, here's the stupid Pokemon." B let go of the balloon, which cried in relief and floated over to us. "With all these losses, we're gonna anger out bosses! These tears taste like salt, yo! It's all your fault, yo!"

The girl glared at the Skull grunts. "Honua, shall we stomp these scoundrels? It'll be a mess to clean up afterward, but I am willing if you are."

B's eyes widened when he realized the girl was serious. "Time for us to break out, yo! Gotta tell y'all to peace out, yo!"

"I'm not gonna keep telling you this...except when I keep telling you this!" A added. "You better listen to what my homie says and drill it into that thick skull of yours! Seriously! You'd better not forget, numbskull!"

After A and B ran off to find Zubat, the girl turned to the purple balloon Pokemon. "You'll be alright getting home?" The Pokemon nodded and drifted off on the breeze. The girl smiled. "Glad to see that one will get home on her own. I've got to thank you for that. Give me your name, Trainer."

"I'm Alani, and this is Lillie," I said, gesturing to my friend. "What's your name? I don't think I ever caught it."

"Alani, eh? That's a fine name. I'm Hapu." Hapu nodded in approval. "I like the way you handled yourself in battle. Honua and I are always wandering all about Alola to try to achieve our goals, so perhaps we'll meet again someday. I am indebted to you for your aid, after all."

"It's no big deal, really," I said. "Anyone would have done the same."

"But you happened to be the one here," Hapu said. Honua nudged her shoulder and tossed its head toward the buildings. Hapu chuckled. "Ah, yes. You might want to try your hand at a Battle Royal or two, Alani. Honua here thinks you'd be well suited to it, given how strong you are."

"I definitely want to try at least one," I said. "They sound really fun!"

"Well, they certainly are something." Hapu grinned and climbed onto Honua. "Farewell. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."

After Hapu and Honua left, Lillie turned to face me. "Now that those Team Skull grunts are gone, we can head into Royal Avenue. We should stop by the Pokemon Center as well. I'm sure your Pokemon need some rest."

"Yeah, they did work pretty hard on the way here," I agreed as I fed Puppers a PokeBean. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Gladion finally appeared in the anime. I hope he gets more screentime than he did in the games. I'm already ready to bark at anime Lusamine for being a jerkwad, too.**


	19. Bring on the Battle Royal!

**I've been playing Fire Emblem Echoes and wow, why are all of the characters so nice or attractive? I wanna protect all of them. Even some of the douchebags, if only because someof them have a sad backstory as to why they became a douchebag. But I suck, even in normal and casual XD. Also, Magikarp Jump is pretty much the weird Nintendo game I never knew I needed.**

* * *

Royal Avenue was practically a city all by itself. People and Pokemon alike were bustling about from one place to the next. Music blared from the speakers as well as commentary on the ongoing Battle Royal. It was almost overwhelming, so Lillie and I worked our way to a more open area.

"Goodness, there's so many people here!" Lillie gasped. "It's quite suffocating."

"Just a bit," I said with sarcasm. "Ok but really, I had no idea there'd be so many people here! It's gonna be hard to find the Pokemon Center at this rate."

"Pokemon Center? I know where that is! But you guys are gonna have to join me for malasadas first!"

I jumped when the voice came from directly behind me. Turning around, I saw Hau with a huge grin on his face. Hau crushed Lillie and me in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you guys! Especially you, Lillie! I didn't see you after those Rattata chased us. I'm glad you're alright!"

"It's good to see you too, Hau," Lillie said, "but, uh, could you please let go? It's getting difficult to breathe."

"Whoops, sorry! Guess I got a bit carried away." After Haureleased us, he lowered his voice for a moment. "So, uh, how's Nebby? It's ok, right?" A muffled pew came from Lillie's bag, and Hau laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. Now, let's go get some malasadas! The shop's right over this way!"

Hau wove through the crowds with ease. Lillie and I struggled to keep up, and we nearly lost him several times. Eventually, we managed to find our way to the malasada shop. Hau ordered the malasadas while Lillie and I went to get a table.

"So, Alani," Hau said once he returned with the fried dough, "Did you take on the Brooklet Hill trial yet?"

I nodded. "Yep. It was a bit tricky, but we were able to pull through in the end."

"Tricky? How?" Hau asked between bites.

"Well, for starters, I got knocked off of Lapras during the battle against the totem Pokemon and could have drowned."

"Wait, what?" Hau actually put his malasada down and looked at me. "You could've _drowned_? For real? Man, that's scary. That Totem Pokemon must be super strong!"

"It is," I confirmed. "Pueo had the type advantage, and he was still having a hard time. We ended up having to use a Z-Move to beat it."

"Alani, you didn't mention that before. Why didn't you tell me?" Lillie asked.

I felt a small wave of guilt wash over me. "Ah, sorry, Lillie. I didn't want to worry you with that. I thought it would be best if I didn't tell you."

"I suppose that's reasonable, and I thank you for wanting to keep me at ease, but please, if you ever end up in danger like that again, please tell me!" Lillie's face was filled with concern.

"Of course."

Once we were done with our food, Lillie and I made our way to the Pokemon Center. We had asked Hau if he wanted to come with us, but he said his team was already in good condition, so he wanted to go check out the Battle Royal Dome. The Pokemon Center itself wasn't nearly as crowded as the rest of Royal Avenue, but there were still a fair number of people waiting for their Pokemon to be healed. I gave my Pokemon to the lady at the front desk, then Lillie and I walked over to the lobby area and waited.

"Alani," Lillie began. "I...I want to go cheer for you while you battle, but there's just so many people here...! I'm not sure if I'm comfortable going out there. I mean, what if Nebby tries to get out again? In that type of crowd? It would be a disaster!"

I placed a hand on Lillie's shoulder to try and calm her down. "Lillie, it's fine. You don't have to go if it'll make you uncomfortable. You can stay here, and I'll meet you after the battle, alright?"

"...Ok." Lillie seemed to relax a bit more, no longer feeling obligated to tag along.

My name was flashed on the screen above the front desk, so I stood up. "Looks like my team's ready. I'll see you later, Lillie!"

Lillie smiled. "Good luck!"

With my team freshly healed, I started walking to the Battle Royal Dome. As I approached, I noticed a familiar figure facing the entrance. I couldn't figure out why the person looked familiar. I didn't know anyone who wore all black in Alola, of all places! That's when I remembered why I felt as though I knew the person. I had battled a kid wearing all black just the night before. I couldn't remember his name, and he had walked into the dome by the time I thought to ask. I ran in as well, driven by wanting to know who he was as well as wanting to participate in a Battle Royal.

There was a huge crowd of Trainers gathered by the stairs. I couldn't see over them, so I had no idea what was going on. I heard whispers of a "masked royal" drift amongst the crowd as I slowly made my way to the front. Coming down the stairs was a man wearing an element-themed wrestling mask and shorts. He reminded me of Kukui.

"Woo hoo! Glad you could all make it!" the man boomed, silencing the audience. "I'm here today, yeah, to spread the word, oh yeah, about Battle Royal! They call me...the Masked Royal! Woo!" The crowd cheered, making me flinch from the loud noise. Despite that, I looked at the Masked Royal again. The way he dressed and the sheer number of 'yeah's and 'woo's in his speech... There was no mistaking it. That was definitely Professor Kukui.

"...Kukui?" I half whispered.

Kukui somehow heard me. He glanced at me and shook his head. "The Masked Royal! I'm here to teach you, oh yeah, about the battle format passed down in Alola for generations...The Pokemon Battle Royal. Woo!"

I was still incredibly confused, but Kukui, or the 'Masked Royal,' as he seemed to prefer at the moment, continued. "Now, you might ask, 'But, Royal, what's the Battle Royal?' Well, this is what it is!" The Masked Royal began striking poses, stunning most of the crowd and making me avert my eyes. "Four Trainers! Three Pokemon each! One big Pokemon battle, oh yeah!" The crowd roared for the Masked Royal again.

The Masked Royal finally stepped off of the stairs. "When one Trainer's team can't battle anymore, yeah, the Battle Royal ends! Whichever Trainer has taken out the most Pokemon, yeah, and has the most Pokemon left will emerge the winner. Woo! Now, you!" The Masked Royal pointed in my direction. I looked around to see if he was pointing at someone else, but sure enough, it was me. "Give it a shot! Pick your Pokemon, and let's do this!"

"Dude! It's the Masked Royal!" Hau called down from the balcony before racing down the stairs. "I wanna battle! I wanna battle!"

"Of course! And you, young man!" The Masked Royal pointed at the very boy I was trying to find earlier. "Come join in the fun!" The Masked Royal earned himself a very nasty glare, but the boy walked over to us anyways. "I'll be in the mix too, of course. And now we have our foursome. Woo!"

Hau, the other boy, and I flinched at how the Masked Royal chose to phrase his words. Others in the crowd did the same thing. The Masked Royal, on the other hand, seemed just as energetic as before, and ran into the hallway.

"Discovery! New experiences! Adventure! It's all yours if you want it! It's time for a Pokemon Battle Royal!"

* * *

We were each directed to a different room. The staff in the room I was in told me that this was going to be a modified version of the Battle Royal, and that each Trainer could only use one Pokemon as opposed to the usual three. Once I decided what Pokemon to use, I was ushered into another hallway.

A voice began to play on the sound system in the dome. "Alright, folks, we're in the Battle Royal Dome, the arena for Battle Royals. The dome is packed and filled with excitement! Now, here come the contenders!"

I was rushed to the end of the hallway, where I found myself on a stage surrounded by hundreds of people. I nearly froze up in fright. There were a lot of people in the stands watching me. A lot. I was not ready for this.

"In the green corner, we have Alani and her Dartrix, Pueo!" I took that as my cue to send out my Pokemon.

"In the yellow corner is Hau and his Brionne, Tarin!" Hau bounded out onto the stage and released his Pokemon.

"In the red corner, it's the Pro Wrestler, the Masked Royal, and Rocko!" The crowd cheered as the Masked Royal sent out his partner.

"And in the blue corner, we have multi-time winners Gladion and Null!" Gladion. That's what his name was. He calmly walked onto the stage and sent out his own Pokemon.

"The Battle Royal starts now!"

I looked at my opponents. Pueo had a type advantage against two of them, but who were we supposed to go after first? I lightly bit my lip as I tried to come up with a strategy.

"Well, if none of you are going to make the first move, I will!" Null shifted into a fighting stance, ready to go at Gladion's command. "Null, use X-Scissor on that Dartrix!"

I took a step back. Why'd he have to go after me right away? "A-ah! Pueo, dodge it and use Razor Leaf!" Pueo flew into the air, narrowly avoiding Null's claws, and unleashed a torrent of leaves. To my surprise, the leaves hit not just Null, but Tarin and Rocko as well.

"Clever!" the Masked Royal shouted. "Using a move that can hit all of your foes at once! Just remember that the more opponents you have to hit, the less damage the move will do to each opponent. Now, Rocko, let's join in with Bite! Aim for Tarin!" Rocko barked and raced towards Tarin, delivering a huge bite to the Pokemon.

"Woah! This is getting intense!" Hau remarked. "Tarin, get 'em off and use Bubble Beam!" Tarin flailed about as he tried to dislodge Rocko. He flung the Pokemon into Pueo, knocking my Pokemon out of the air, and hit both Pueo and Rocko with a stream of ultra fast bubbles.

"Null! Get those Pokemon with Pursuit!" Null roared and charged at the pile of Pokemon. The Pokemon were scattered across the stage, but all of them managed to get back up.

As I watched the fight unfold, I noticed that there seemed to be an odd spot of blue in Rocko's ruff. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Hey, Pueo! Use Pluck on Rocko!"

Gladion looked at me as if I were an idiot. "Are you _really_ that stupid? Flying-type moves aren't very effective against Rock-types! Everyone knows that!"

"Hey! Shut up, will you?" I retorted. "Of course I know how type matchups work! Rocko just happened to have something Pueo needed." I gestured to Pueo, who had stolen the Oran Berry hidden in Rocko's fur and quickly scarfed it down.

"Then what about the time when you tried to use a Ghost-type move on Null?"

"How was I supposed to know it's a Normal-type? It looks like some weird bug-dog-fish hybrid!"

"You take that back!"

"You two, calm down!" the Masked Royal said. "This is a battle between Pokemon, not a verbal battle between Trainers, yeah! Save that quarrel for after the battle!"

"Tch. Whatever..." Gladion grumbled, still clearly annoyed at me.

While we were arguing, Tarin was busy chasing the other Pokemon around the stage while using Aqua Jet. It was almost hilarious to watch, but my Pokemon was one of the ones being chased, so I had to cut my amusement short.

"Pueo, break off and nail Tarin in the side!" Pueo hooted and managed to rise above the other Pokemon. Once he had the opportunity, Pueo slammed into Tarin full force, ending the watery assault.

"Aw man, we were doing so good, too," Hau complained as Tarin rolled across the stage. "Oh well. We'll just have to try again! Disarming Voice!" Hau's Pokemon got up and released a charming cry, causing the other Pokemon to pause for a moment.

"Rocko! Shake it off and use Rock Throw on Null! Woo!" Rocko formed rather large rocks and began hurling them at Null. Most of them bounced off of its helmet and simply annoyed the Pokemon.

"Get them back with Take Down!" Gladion shouted. Null recklessly slammed into Rocko, causing damage to both Pokemon.

While Gladion and the Masked Royal were busy, I decided to focus our battle on Hau. "Astonish on Tarin!" Pueo rammed into Tarin and shrieked, causing his opponent to flinch. "Now use Razor Leaf!" Leaves were strewn about by the dozen, hitting Tarin and disrupting the skirmish happening on the other side of the stage.

"Null! Get Pueo with X-Scissor!" Claws glowing green, Null lashed out at Pueo. Pueo swerved through the air, leading Null on a chase around the stage. Pueo managed to get Null to hit Tarin before stopping in its tracks with another Razor Leaf.

"Tarin! Use Pound on Pueo!" Tarin squeaked and bounded towards Pueo. My Pokemon dodged out of the way and rammed his assailant into the ground. Tarin got back up and started to bounce back towards the battle, but Null ran in and tackled him to the ground. The blue seal tried to get back up, but shortly after his attempt began, he slumped back to the ground.

"The battle is over!" the voice on the speaker boomed. "And the winner is...Gladion and Null!"

The crowd exploded into applause, causing me to jump in surprise. I had completely forgotten the crowd was there while we were battling. I glanced over at Gladion. Despite the fact that he won, he still had the same annoyed look on his face. Would it kill the boy to smile for once? I sighed, deciding that it wasn't worth the trouble to worry about him. After all, while running into him twice was purely a coincidence, there was absolutely no way I'd see him again. Not if I had a say in things.

* * *

"So what do you think?" the Masked Royal asked once we were back in the lobby. "It's easy to have a fun time with a Battle Royal, isn't it? Woo! You even have a shot at beating real tough opponents this way, yeah?"

"You were on fire during that battle." A young man with dark skin and streaks of red in his hair walked up to us. I slightly cringed at his lack of shirt. First Kukui, and now this guy. It seemed like shirts were just a suggestion in Alola.

The man crossed his arms and continued talking to us. "I hope you bring that fire with you and burn up my trial. The name's Kiawe, the Fire captain. You can get to Wela Volcano Park from Route Seven. I'll be waiting at the peak. If you plan on seeing your island challenge through to the end, climb to the top with your strongest team!" Kiawe walked out of the dome without even saying goodbye.

Unfazed by Kiawe's sudden appearance and exit, the Masked Royal started speaking again. "So! Alani, Hau. How are your trials going? I hope you and your Pokemon are working hard and havin' a blast! Woo!"

Hau gave the Masked Royal a questioning glance. "But, Mr. Masked Royal... How'd you even know that we're doing our trials right now?"

I looked at Hau. Did he seriously not realize that the Masked Royal was actually Kukui minus a lab coat and plus a mask?

A look of realization crossed Hau's face. "Oh! I get it! Of course you'd know! It's so obvious!"

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. He did realize it was Kukui. Thank goodness.

"It's because of our amulets, huh?"

And Hau went off and chucked my hopes into a garbage dump.

"Well, I'm having a blast! But why are you here?" Hau turned to face Gladion, who was still standing nearby. "Why would you even wanna do a Battle Royal?"

Gladion took a few steps forward, then covered his face with his hand. "Because Null and I have to make it on our own. And I don't want to ever forget that."

Hau frowned and put his hands behind his head. "...Wow. You're just a ray of sunshine, eh? I think you'd have a lot more fun if you let yourself have a good time with everybody else. You can do a lot more together, too!" Hau faced me and the Masked Royal after Gladion left. "Well, I don't know what his deal is, but I thought the battle was just plain fun! That's why I like doing Battle Royals. And my Pokemon seem to like them, too!"

"That's great to hear, oh yeah!" the Masked Royal laughed. "And what about you, Alani? How have you been?"

"Well, my trials have been going pretty well, and that Battle Royal was a lot of fun!" I said. "It's getting kinda late, so I think I'll head to Kiawe's trial tomorrow."

"That's sounds like a fantastic plan, yeah!" It suddenly sounded like a herd of Tauros were stampeding in the dome. We looked to our right, and there was a mass of people who all wanted to meet the Masked Royal running right at us. "Well, it looks like I have to go. Good luck on the rest of your trials, oh yeah!" The Masked Royal ran off, redirecting the crowd away from Hau and me.

"Wow, the Masked Royal's life must be crazy, what with people chasing him for autograph and pictures and whatnot," Hau remarked. He grabbed my arm and started a mad dash for the doors. "Alright, let's head back to the Pokemon Center and get some shuteye! I'm sure Lillie can't wait to hear how the battle went, too!"

* * *

"What? No! There's no way that was Kukui! Alani, that was the Masked Royal! He said so himself!"

* * *

 **Do I know how to dialogue? No. Do I know how to write battles? Also no. Do I care? Nah, not really. Tbh when I was planning out the Akala Island arc(?), I wasn't going to actually write out the battle. But then the chapter would've been waaaay too short, and that wouldn't have been good. Plus, this gave me the opportunity to write out more squabbling! :D Alani and Glads clearly aren't getting along right now.**

 **Once again, feel free to leave a review if you liked something, wanna say something, or if you spot an error. If a word looks like /this/, it was supposed to be italicized and I just forgot to change it on here.**

 **I'm sure a lot of you are entering finals season in school, so good luck to those of you who still have them, and hope everyone has a great start to their summer!**


	20. Rescue Team

**Hey, hey, it's Sunday! Which means another chapter! I, uh, kinda forgot to read over this one before uploading it. Got distracted by Fire Emblem Echoes. Whoops. So, sorry if there's any glaringly obvious mistakes anywhere.**

* * *

"Hey, we should stop by the Thrifty Megamart before we head out!"

We were having breakfast when Hau suddenly told us what he was thinking. He explained that the Megamart had everything a traveler needed, from basic necessities all the way to camping supplies. I realized that it would be a good idea to get at least a tent of some sort. I had the feeling that the Routes were going to become a bit longer, and Pokemon Centers or motels might not always be within reach.

The store was bustling with activity, despite it being morning. The instant we stepped through the doors, salespeople handed each of us a coupon for a discount on our entire purchase.

"It's kinda odd that they'd just give out coupons like that," I remarked as we began to explore the aisles.

"It's just what they do," Hau said. "I heard that they did this even before they relocated from Ula'ula Island."

"They relocated? What happened?" Lillie asked.

"Well, I don't know exact details, but it sounds like the people in a nearby village managed to enrage the Tapu, and it devastated the entire area. No one lives there anymore."

I whistled. "Wow, they must have done something pretty bad to have that happen."

"I thought that the tapus were supposed to protect people," Lillie said. "Like how Tapu Koko caught Alani when the bridge broke."

"Oh yeah, that happened, didn't it?" Hau said. "While they are guardian deities, and they do sometimes save people like Alani, the tapus are also supposed to protect the islands. If people are causing damage to the environment, well, alola to those people."

We continued to peruse the store, grabbing things we thought we'd need at some point, such as extra food, water, and even some camping supplies. Some of the items were ridiculously expensive. Water from Mt. Coronet was 6,000 per case, for crying out loud! Even with a discount coupon, the total cost of some of the items would have been way too much.

I felt something bump into me as we approached the checkout lines. It was the purple balloon Pokemon from the other day. The Pokemon hummed and swayed happily.

A young boy walked up to us. "Oh, you must be the one who helped save my Drifloon yesterday!"

"Yeah, I am," I said. "I'm glad to see she made it back to you alright!"

"Here, I want to give this to you." The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a bottle cap. "I know this may not seem like much, but this is actually a very rare bottle cap. There are some people in Alola who love to collect these, and they usually offer really cool services in exchange for these!"

"Oh, uh, thanks," I said as I put the cap in my bag.

The boy smiled. "Thank you for saving Drifloon! Good luck on your trials!"

* * *

Hau still had to complete the trial at Brooklet Hill, so Lillie and I set off for Wela Volcano Park on our own. Route Seven starkly contrasted with the liveliness of Royal Avenue. It was a quiet dirt trail bordered by a beach on one side and volcanic terrain on the other. We eventually made it to the sign that indicated the entrance to the park, and we began our ascent.

"It's getting pretty hot," Lillie said as she fanned herself with her hat. "Is this an active volcano?"

"It must be," I said as I scanned the area. "I can't believe they'd have a trial on an active volcano. Seems a bit too dangerous if you ask me."

We we were barely halfway up the volcano when we heard the sound of someone crying. Lillie and I looked at each other. What was going on? We followed the crying and found a young woman sobbing by a rock.

"Um, miss? Are you alright? What happened?" Lillie asked.

The woman was still sobbing, but she tried to tell us what happened. "I...they... They t-took Meowth! A-and I couldn't do anything... Oh, my poor Meowth! He must be scared!"

"Hey, hey, no worries, Meowth's gonna be alright," I said as I knelt down next to the woman. "We'll get him back. Now, can you describe who took him away from you?"

"Well, both of them had a...a bandana on their face, so I couldn't really see. But, I think they both wore black and white clothing. One of them had really pink hair, too. And they were doing a really strange dance, too. I thought that it was a custom in Alola, but I guess not..."

I sighed. Team Skull. Of course they'd be behind this. "Ok, can you lead us in the direction they ran off?"

"Alani, are you sure about this?" Lillie nervously murmured. "What if these grunts are stronger than the ones you've faced before?"

I waved off her worries. "We'll be fine. We can handle whatever comes our way. Besides, it wouldn't be right to just stand here when we can help...ah..." I glanced at the woman, realizing I didn't know her name.

"Mariah," the woman said, getting to her feet. "My name is Mariah. Thank you so much for helping me!"

Mariah began walking up a ragged path, beckoning us to follow. I sent Pueo out to scout out the path, just in case those Skull grunts were lying in wait somewhere. As we walked, Mariah told us that she was a tourist from the Johto region. She had come to Wela Volcano Park in hopes of seeing how the trial was run, but had the misfortune of encountering more capable Skull grunts.

Hardly ten minutes had passed when Pueo came flying back. Upon landing, he signaled for us to be quiet, then began to silently glide down a side path we hadn't noticed earlier. The rest of us followed, making as little noise as possible.

We started to hear a conversation as we progressed down the side of the volcano.

"Yo, I'm telling you, that had to of been the easiest steals ever!"

"Yeah, yeah! That numbskull didn't stand a chance against us, yo!"

Two figures were leaning against some of the nearby rocks. On the ground next to them was a Meowth locked in a cage, looking extremely distressed.

"That's them!" Mariah whispered. "They're the ones that took my Meowth!"

I sent out Creampuff and began to address her and Pueo. "Alright, here's the plan. Pueo, you swoop in, grab Meowth, and bring him back to us. Creampuff, you distract the grunts so that Pueo can make a clean getaway. You got it?" My Pokemon nodded and set off for their targets. While Pueo gained air, Creampuff barged in and knocked one of the grunts to the ground, causing the other grunt to turn around. Pueo used the distraction to grab the cage and rescue Meowth.

"Yo, what the heck?" the grunt who was knocked down groaned. "Who let that Rockruff loose?"

The other grunt noticed Pueo landing next to us with Meowth and glared. "Probably the Trainers who just took our prize! Come on, Sid, let's show 'em who's boss!" She took a Pokeball from her belt and tossed it into the air, sending out a small black Pokemon with purple eyes.

I heard beeping come from my bag as Rotom popped out to analyze the new Pokemon. "That'zz a Salandit! Better watch out. They can create flames as well as toxic fumes from the base of their tails!"

"Poison and Fire, alright then," I said as I worriedly glanced at Pueo. "Creampuff, use Rock Throw! Pueo, Razor Leaf! Keep your distance!"

As my Pokemon began their attack, Sid finally got back to his feet and pulled out a Pokeball. "Yo, Charjabug, go help Kenzie by using Spark on Dartrix!" A cube-shaped Pokemon appeared from the Pokeball and slammed into Pueo, knocking him out of the air.

"Zzt! Charjabug is known for being able to store electricity in its body! It's still part Bug-type, though, so Pueo and Creampuff still have the advantage!"

I nodded. "Thanks, Rotom. Ok, Pueo, use Pluck on Charjabug!" Pueo heeded my command, swooping in and furiously pecking at the bug. While he was busy, Salandit started to creep up on Pueo, flames starting to form around its mouth. Creampuff was on it before I even had to say anything. She bit down on Salandit and tossed it to the side before it even had the chance to scorch Pueo.

"Tch, why's this kid so strong, yo?" Kenzie compained. "It totally not fair, yo!"

"Less whining, more fighting!" Sid barked. "Charjabug, you know what to do!"

The bug grunted and managed to shock Pueo again. It scuttled over to the side and knocked several rocks onto my Pokemon, pinning him in place. It called over to Salandit, who began scampering over to its new target.

"Hey!" I shouted. "That's playing dirty!"

Sid shrugged. "We steal Pokemon for a living, yo. Not sure what made you think we'd play fair, yo."

"Well, if you're not gonna fight a fair battle," Mariah spoke up, "I guess that means we don't have to, either. Meowth, use Fury Swipes on Salandit!" Meowth, now free of the cage, meowed and jumped into the fray. He unsheathed his claws and let loose on Salandit, occasionally hitting Charjabug as well.

Kenzie gasped. "Woah, now! A three-on-two battle? Now that's just low, yo."

"That's coming from people who steal Pokemon from others!" Mariah glared at Kenzie, making the grunt whither under her gaze. "You have no right to complain when you're already doing something so appalling!"

As the girls argued, Creampuff was able to help Pueo get back to his feet. They joined Meowth in his assault on the grunts' Pokemon. Slowly but surely, Salandit and Charjabug began to tire out, and they eventually collapsed under the combined forces of our Pokemon.

"Kenzie, yo, what the heck?" Sid elbowed Kenzie in the side, making her stagger. "Look at what happened! Since you decided to talk with that fool, we've lost, and that ain't cool!"

"Are you trying to blame this on me?" Kenzie shouted. " _You're_ the one who insists on using some stupid bug in battle!"

"Watch your mouth! You wouldn't want the boss hearing you say that, now, would you?"

"Let's get out of here while they're still distracted..." Lillie murmured. I stole one last glance at the arguing grunts, then led the way back up the path.

* * *

"Oh, I can't possibly thank you enough for saving my darling Meowth! He means the world to me. I don't know what I would've done if I lost him forever!"

Mariah had crushed me in a hug and was still crying tears of joy. I was glad I was able to help her out, but the extreme physical contact and the crying were making me really uncomfortable.

I squirmed in her grasp. "It was no problem, really. But, um, could you let me go now?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Mariah released me, and I immediately took a couple steps back. "I'm sorry. I tend to get a bit emotional about things like this."

"It's fine," I said. "I'm sure I'd be the same way if the roles were reversed."

Mariah smiled. "I should let you two be on your way. You two were heading up to the trial, I'm guessing? Here, let me give you these. It's the least I can do to repay you for saving Meowth." Mariah pulled out a few Potions as well as some cash and handed them to me.

"Uh, thank you," I managed as I took her gifts. "Are you sure?"

"You saved Meowth. You deserve it. Just think of it as a reward for rescuing him!" Meowth purred in approval as Mariah picked him up. "Well, we'll be going now. Thank you so much, and good luck!"

After we parted ways with Mariah, Lillie and I continued up our original path. It wound through a series of caves, each hotter than the last. We eventually made it to the top, where a captain's gate and two trial guides were waiting.

"Looks like we finally made it here," Lillie said. "You should probably heal your Pokemon before heading in. They seemed pretty tired after fighting those grunts earlier."

"Yeah, definitely," I agreed as I sent out Pueo and Creampuff. I took out the Potions I had gotten from Mariah and used them to heal my Pokemon. They hummed in delight and nuzzled on up to me before I returned them to their Pokeballs.

"You really do have an amazing bond with your team, Alani," Lillie commented. "I'm sure you'll do great in this trial."

"Thanks, Lillie," I said. "I'll be back before you know it!" The trial guides let me through the gate, and I began to ascend the stairs to take on the trial.

* * *

 **Uh, small problemo. I've been doing a bunch of other things over the past couple of weeks (besides being distracted by FE), and. Well. I don't have next week's chapter finished. So, unless I can get my butt in gear again, there's gonna be a mini hiatus on this story. I'll try to avoid that since we're still in the middle of an island, but I can't guarantee anything. Sorry!**


	21. The Trial of Kiawe

**Yes. Hi. Um.**

 **Sorry I haven't updated the story since, like, June?**

 **Life's been kinda nuts for me. I spent most of the summer just staring at walls because calc left me so broken. And, as I predicted, Splatoon 2 distracted me from writing. Plus, I've had a major creativity block since I've gotten to college. Legit, even drawing, which is my _thing,_ hasn't been clicking for me. I've only managed to get one drawing done, but I haven't been able to post it since it's gonna be in a Zine my friend's putting together (Back to Alola!), so it looks like I've done nothing artsy in forever. I'm not complaining too much, though. I got cool friends here. I tend to gravitate towards friends more than art. ****Anyways, the _main_ main reason why this chapter took so damn long was because of the creativity block I mentioned earlier. The writing aspect of it hit me during the summer, and I just could not figure out how I wanted this chapter to go. It took so long, I made fun of myself in a couple chapters for it.**

 **I'll add more notes down at the bottom, which will basically just have more of my random thoughts and some small mentioning of plans for this story.**

* * *

Once I reached the top of the stairs, I was practically at the mouth of the volcano. The air was sweltering, yet the man I met at the Battle Royal Dome was dancing with a flaming rod on a platform alongside three Pokemon the looked like Marowak. The man noticed me watching the dance and stepped off of the platform.

"Ah, you're that girl from the Battle Royal Dome. Alani, was it?" When I nodded, he smiled and continued. "As I mentioned back there, I am Kiawe. I study the dances that have been passed down in Alola for generations. The trial of Kiawe... You will find that it is a bit different than the trials you have faced to this point, but of course, you will attempt it, right?"

"Definitely," I said. "My team and I are ready for whatever you throw our way!"

"Very well then. My trial will test your powers of observation!" Kiawe explained. "These Marowak will perform a dance...and then another. Your task will be to find the difference between the two. Begin!"

The Marowak began twirling their bones as they danced in a circle. They performed various tricks, creating a spectacular display of crackling flames. The middle one unleashed a huge flash of light, and I was forced to look away for a moment. Once the light died down, I saw that the Marowak had struck a final pose.

"Once more!"

The Marowak began to dance in the same way as they had before, but after the flash, the Marowak in the middle was in a completely different pose.

"So, Alani, were you able to figure out the difference between the two dances?" Kiawe asked.

I nodded. "The middle Marowak ended in a different pose in the second dance."

"Very impressive!" Kiawe grinned. "And to add to the spectacle... Come, Marowak!" I was barely able to register what was happening when the middle Marowak ran to the edge of the stage and let out a battle cry.

"Ah! Um, Clyde, I choose you!" I fumbled for Clyde's Pokeball, then tossed it into the air, sending out my companion. "Alright, Clyde, use Mudslap!"

I bit my lip in worry as I watched Clyde use the move. This Marowak looked like it was an Alolan forme one, based on the flames on the ends of the bone it was holding. I could only hope that the move I told Clyde to use was fully effective against it.

The Mudslap connected with its target. Marowak stumbled back from the force of the move, wiping its eyes in an attempt to remove the mud left on them. It glared at Clyde and rushed at him with its bone primed for attack. The bone smashed into Clyde's side, causing him to near stumble down the stairs. He was able the recover his balance just before he would have started tumbling and let out an indignant bray while running up to Marowak. He let loose a Double Kick, but strangely enough, the move didn't even seem to faze his opponent.

"Alolan Marowak are part Ghost-type," Kiawe informed me. "Normal and Fighting-type moves won't do a thing against him!"

I sighed. If this Marowak was part Ghost, then that left Clyde with only two moves that would be able to even touch him. "Hey, Clyde, try using Bulldoze!" Clyde began to stomp on the ground. The vibrations caused by the impacts knocked Marowak to the ground before he got a chance to attack Clyde again. Clyde rushed in to deliver a Mudslap, but Marowak quickly rolled out of the way, causing Clyde to nearly crash into the platform.

Marowak began to cloak itself in flames, confirming my suspicions of him being a Fire-type as well. He roared and charged at Clyde at full speed.

"Clyde, dodge it and use Bulldoze again!" Clyde whipped around and saw the flaming ball of angry ghost barreling towards him. He let out a short bray of surprise before jumping onto the platform and leaping over the incoming attack. He landed behind Marowak and used his own attack, making Marowak collapse and become unable to get up.

"Very impressive!" Kiawe said. "But, please, be more careful about what moves you use here. We are on an active volcano, after all."

"Ah, right! Sorry!" For some reason, the environment never came to mind as I was battling. Now that it was brought to my attention, it was so obvious that using a move that shook the ground was a pretty bad idea on a volcano. I returned Clyde to his Pokeball, partially to let him cool down after battling on a volcano, partially to keep him from using Bulldoze again.

Kiawe nodded in acknowledgment. "Very well. Onto the next dance!" The Marowak had brought their fallen companion onto the stage while Kiawe and I were talking and managed to get him back on his feet for the dance. They twirled their bones again as they danced in a circle and ended in a new pose after the flash of light. They reset and then started up the dance once more. I braced myself for the flash of light again, but when I opened my eyes, I saw a hiker had somehow walked in front of me and was staring right at me. I shrieked and stumbled back in surprise.

Kiawe quietly chuckled. "So, I suppose you know what the difference is this time?"

After I calmed myself down a bit, I glanced at the Marowak behind the hiker. They looked like they were in the same pose as before, which had to mean...

"The hiker?" I said, not fully certain of my answer.

"Correct!" Kiawe confirmed. "And to add to the spectacle... Come, my hiker friend!"

"Alola!" the hiker bellowed heartily as he sent out a Magmar.

I pulled a different Pokeball so that Clyde could take a break. "Creampuff, let's go!" Creampuff appeared from her Pokeball with a bark. She eyed her opponent and out a ferocious growl, one that I had never heard from her before.

"Magmar, use Fire Spin!" Magmar unleashed a spiraling column of flames in Creampuff's direction. Creampuff glared at the flames as if looks alone would extinguish them.

"Creampuff, dodge it and use Sand Attack to give yourself some cover!" Instead of following my directions, Creampuff glanced at me and chose to use Bite instead. I was shocked. "Creampuff, what are you doing? You're gonna get burned!" Sure enough, Magmar's Flame Body ability kicked in, and upon contact with it, Creampuff sustained a nasty burn.

"Add to that burn with Ember!" Magmar roared and blew out more flames towards Creampuff. Creampuff whined as the flames touched her already burned muzzle.

"Creampuff, you need the take a break. Return!" I pulled out her Pokeball and tried to return her to it. Emphasis on tried.

The instant I pulled out her Pokeball, Creampuff glared at me and dodged the beams of energy coming from it, startling me into stopping. She landed facing her opponent and howled. The rocks on her neck started to glow as she used Rock Throw to attack Magmar. It grunted in pain as the rocks began to pelt it. Magmar tried to take cover, but Creampuff was relentless. She chased it all around the platform, despite her injuries. Magmar eventually collapsed, and Creampuff let out a victory bark. She ran over to me and began running in circles to show how excited she was.

"Creampuff, what were you doing?" I chided. "You weren't following any of my directions. That was bad!" Creampuff whimpered and hung her head low. I sighed and pulled out a Burn Heal as well as a couple of Potions. "We'll talk about this later. For now, please try to listen to me a bit more, ok?"

"You did well to defeat my friend David here, I suppose..." If we were in an anime, Kiawe would probably have been sweatdropping. "Did you by any chance receive that Rockruff from a friend?"

I shook my head as I tended to Creampuff's burn. "No. I caught her back on Melemele. She's never acted up like this before."

"Hm. That's odd." Kiawe held his chin in thought. "You should probably try to find out if this is normal behavior for Rockruff. I wish I could help, but I'm no expert when it comes to Rock-types. Perhaps Olivia knows something."

"It's alright," I said, standing back up. "Can we go ahead and start the next dance?"

"Right. Come, Marowak! Onto the next dance!" The Marowak began a dance that was much flashier than their previous dances. They jumped and twirled through the air, posing with David at the very end. Without needing prompting, the Marowak started their dance again.

Given how the last two dances went, I figured that the finale would once again be the difference. Sure enough, it was: a large black Pokemon was posing behind one of the Marowak. The moment I saw it, it felt like the temperature dropped several degrees, though that wasn't really saying much, considering we were on top of an active volcano. It glared at me with cunning eyes, and it almost looked like it had a grin on its face.

"So, Alani," Kiawe said, snapping me from my trance. "Can you spot the difference?"

I looked back at the new Pokemon. "That...that Pokemon behind Marowak. On the left."

"Correct! And to add one last flourish to the act..." Kiawe grinned devilishly. "Come, Totem Salazzle!"

"Wait, that's the Totem Po-" Salazzle let out a ferocious roar, cutting me off. Creampuff barked at it in retaliation. Panicking, I pulled out Clyde's Pokeball so he could help Creampuff in the battle.

I looked at Salazzle again. It looked a lot like Salandit, and the name itself sounded similar, too, but I still wanted to confirm my suspicions. "Hey, Rotom, can you pull up any data on Salazzle?" I was met with silence. "Rotom? Come on, this is really not the time to be taking a nap!" Still nothing. I shook my head in exasperation. I'd deal with it later. I had a battle to focus on, after all.

Creampuff and Clyde had already started their assault on Salazzle. Clyde was focusing on taking out its legs, while Creampuff was going for its face. Salazzle looked increasingly irritated as it was hit with waves or rocks and mud. It didn't take long before it cried out in frustration-and for help. Dozens of Salandit began to crawl out of their hiding spots, coming to the aid of the Totem Pokemon.

I quickly glanced between Salazzle and the Salandit gathering around it. Clyde and Creampuff alone wouldn't be able to take them all on. There were far too many of them for the Pokemon I had out to take on. They needed someone else to take on some of the Salandit while they focused on taking down Salazzle. I considered the other Pokemon I had. Pueo had an extreme disadvantage in this situation, while Puppers wouldn't be able to dish out much damage on our opponents. That left Mestrix as my only option.

"Hey, Mestrix, use Swift on those Salandit and help out Clyde and Creampuff!" Mestrix appeared from her ball in a flash of light. With a small battle cry, she leaped into the air and unleashed a flurry of stars at her opponents. It wasn't enough to take them out, but it did distract some of them from their original targets.

I looked up to check on Clyde and Creampuff. They were doing remarkably well at taking down Salazzle, despite Creampuff's obvious distaste of working as a team. When I looked closer, however, I realized that Salazzle was staring to release a purple cloud of gas. That could only mean one thing.

Poison.

"Clyde, Creampuff, back off for a moment! Salazzle's releasing poison!" I warned. Clyde understood and ran a safe distance away from Salazzle, taking out any Salandit in his path. Creampuff ignored me at first, then decided to heed my warning and hopped away from the poison gas.

I gritted my teeth as I glared at our opponents. They had numbers on us, but that just meant I had to come up with a new strategy. One that could help three Pokemon overcome a swarm.

At that moment, two Salandits tried to get the jump on Creampuff. Growling in annoyance, she used Sand Attack, giving herself an opportunity to get out of the way of the attacks. The Salandit duo, being blinded by the kicked up dust, crashed into each other and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Oh, of course!" The gears in my head finally started turning again as I watched what happened. "Why didn't I think of that sooner? Creampuff, kick up more sand to create some cover!" Creampuff barked and began dashing around our opponents, leaving clouds of dust in her wake. The Salandit hissed in frustration as their vision was obscured by the dust.

"Alright, Clyde, start taking them out with Mudslap!" I grinned as I watched the battle unfold. After what felt like an eternal struggle, things were finally starting to get going again. After a few minutes, most of the Salandit left, being too irritated by the barrage of stars and mud to continue.

Creampuff turned to me, wagging her tail in excitement. Rocks began to form around her as she began preparing a move, waiting for a signal. At my nod, she unleashed her attack on the other Pokemon, pelting them with sharp rocks. The last of the Salandit skittered away, leaving just the Totem Pokemon standing before us.

Salazzle narrowed its eyes and growled at us. I saw its gaze flicker to Mestrix, then it charged at her full-speed. Mestrix yelped and threw herself behind a nearby rock, narrowly avoiding the attack. The rest of us were forced to take cover as well while Salazzle continued its rampage.

I glared at Salazzle as it dashed around. It was hot, I was tired, and my Pokemon were probably ten times as exhausted as I was. It was time to finally bring this battle to a close.

"Mestrix, hit 'em with with Swift! Clyde, Creampuff, follow up with your strongest attacks!" My Pokemon cheered, though I could practically hear Creampuff rolling her eyes. Star-shaped rays began shooting out at Salazzle, providing cover for Clyde and Creampuff to rush in. Rocks and mud joined the shooting stars as Salazzle was slowly forced to its knees. With a combined cry, my Pokemon delivered the final blow, knocking Salazzle out.

I leaned against a nearby boulder as I caught my breath, a small grin on my face. "We...we did it. God, that felt like it took forever, but we did it. We beat the Totem Pokemon."

"That you certainly did," Kiawe said as he walked over to me. "With your keen observations, you were able to see even fine differences in our dances, and you were able to topple the challenge placed before you. Well done!" He searched for something in his pocket, then held out a shining red crystal. "This is a Firium Z-Crystal. It is yours now."

I wearily accepted the reward. As tough a battle as this was, I could at least use this crystal. As I pocketed it, my Pokemon came running back, jumping in excitement. A laugh escaped me as I bent down to meet them.

"The bond you share with your Pokemon is very strong," Kiawe said as he watched us. "I'd be lying if I said I don't expect great things of you. Now, allow me to show you how to use the Fire-type Z-Power!" Kiawe began to perform a dance that somehow seemed familiar. Once he completed it, I realized it was part of the very same dance that the Marowak had been doing this whole time.

Kiawe pulled another device from his pocket. "One last thing. Allow me to see your Ride Pager for a moment." I fished the pager from my bag and handed it over to Kiawe. He glanced between my pager and the other device in his hand as he typed something into it, then handed it back to me. "I registered the Charizard Flight system to your pager. Now, you'll be able to call a Charizard and fly anywhere you'd like. Fair warning, though, the system can get busy at times, so I wouldn't rely on it all the time. Sometimes, simply walking would be faster."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," I said as I took back my pager. "Thanks, Kiawe!"

Kiawe grinned. "It's the least I can do. You still have a long journey ahead of you. No doubt that being able to fly will help you in a pinch. Now, it's getting rather late. You and your companion best get going. There's a motel further up the path. You can't miss it. I'd recommend staying there for at least one night, then going to Lush Jungle and taking on Mallow's trial."

I looked at him in surprise. "Oh, Mallow's trial is actually that close? Wow. I didn't even realize that." I returned my Pokemon to their balls so that they could rest up. "Well, I think I'll follow your advice. Thanks so much!" I took my leave of the trial site, ready to find the motel and get some well-deserved shut-eye.

* * *

 **So. I know Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are coming out in a couple weeks. I, for one, am super hyped, especially since I've been dodging spoilers for, what, five months now? I wanna see what's in store for us! I wanna go beat up the bad guys and hopefully have a bunch of multiverse/timeline shenanigans and have at least one ultra plot twist! Take pictures with my team! Explore Ultra Space! So exciting!**

 **Mini rant aside, I'm sure you guys are wondering if the Ultra games will affect this story at all. And all I'm saying right now is this: Depending on what events play out in the Ultra universe, if I can play my cards right while writing and coming up with ideas... It's gonna be good. Until I get to that deciding point, everything's most likely gonna stay relatively true to the events of Sun/Moon. Which brings me back to the current story itself. I'm trying to get the rest of this island finished before I post anything more. Honestly, I wasn't even gonna post this now, but I saw that people still look at this story, despite how I haven't updated in forever, so I figured one couldn't hurt. I just don't know when the next one's gonna pop up. But it's definitely better than this chapter, at least in my opinion.**

 **See ya...whenever, I guess.**

* * *

"Zzt! Blast through that Captain'zzz barricade and into your next adventure, pal! You're on fire!"

"Oh sure, _now_ you're awake!"


	22. A World of Secrets

**Wassup? Hope everyone's been well. I've had a pretty nice fall break, though I kinda failed to do any homework until now, and I may or may not have forgotten how to adult, but that's ok, because I've been racing through Ultra Moon instead! Honestly, the beginning was kinda slow. It probably didn't help that it was almost exactly the same as Sun and Moon, and that I had played through that part of the game three times before, but it did get better eventually. Most of the changes were good, but some of them just made characters...kinda bland. And then there were parts of the old storyline that did not fit into the new storyline whatsoever. I'm really hoping that it'll get cleared up in the post-game story.**

 **Anyways, there was a review!**

 **cassiewritesxx: I...didn't put that much though into Alani's backstory lmao. I know for sure that she has never been on a Pokemon journey before because her mom decided that she should finish school first. Your comment definitely made me want to plan a few more things out, and I've got a few ideas typed up, though I have no clue if/when I'll be able to fit them into the story.**

 **I don't actually have a ton of chapters done, but I really felt like posting something, so here you go! More of my trash for your consumption!**

* * *

"My goodness, that battle really did take a long time, though. I was getting worried you weren't going to be able to finish it."

"Well, it was a tough one, that's for sure. I really need to train my team up for the next trial. If it's Totem Pokemon is the type I think it'll be, Puppers is the only one who'll have an advantage in the battle."

Lillie and I continued through the path previously blocked by the Captain's barricade, making small conversation all the while. Once I was done with the Trial, I told Lillie was Kiawe had said about a motel and the next trial site, but she reasoned that it would be better if we stayed at the Pokemon Center on Royal Avenue and set out for the motel in the morning instead. I eventually caved, so we stayed at Royal Avenue for one more night.

"Only Puppers?" Lillie questioned. "Then, are you thinking the next trial is based on Grass-types?"

"Yeah. Fire, Water, and Grass are one of the most well-known Type Triangles, after all, and this island's already had Water and Fire-type trials. Makes sense that the last one would be Grass. Plus, Mallow strikes me as the kinda of person who prefer Grass-type Pokemon." I paused, looking further down the path. "Huh? Someone's coming this way."

A strange-looking man was typing something on a device on his arm as he quickly approached us. He seemed lost in thought, so Lillie and I tried to get out of the way, but the man looked up from whatever he was doing and noticed us.

"Oh, excuse me! I didn't see you there," the man began. "I assume you two are trial-goers, based off that Island Challenge charm on your bag, correct?"

"Um, yes..." I hesitantly began. I wasn't sure what to make of this person who had just approached us out of the blue. He seemed somehow familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

"Splendid! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Colress."

I stopped listening. Colress. That was the name of one of Team Plasma's scientists from the Kyurem incident not that long ago. What was he doing here? Shouldn't he still be locked up?

"—bound to their Pokemon through the power of the Z-Ring!" Colress's voice grew slightly louder, snapped me back to reality. "Now that I think of it, I never asked your name."

"My name is...Ushieno," I stammered nervously. I wasn't a huge fan of lying, but I sure as hell wasn't about to tell a known criminal my name!

"Ushieno, is it? I'll remember your name. And what of your friend there? She seems somehow familiar..."

Lillie seemed to shrink and lose color in her face. "Um, it's, ah, Martago..."

"Hm. Very well then." Colress fished something out of his pocket and handed it to me. "Here. This is a Technical Machine that can teach Pokemon Flame Charge. It may come in handy for the trial in Lush Jungle. Also, you might consider stopping by the Aether House up ahead. They're always welcome to visitors, and you could learn about protecting the environment and Pokemon. A very fascinating subject. Now, I have a meeting to attend, so I'll be on my way." Colress nodded and walked past us, returning to his typing. "Z-Power... Is it the true potential that I seek? Does it surpass the Mega Ring?"

His last words were probably meant for just himself, but I couldn't help but worry about what it was he was researching, especially if it involved the strength of Mega Evolution and Z-Power. Was he planning another event like the one he helped orchestrate in Unova?

I shook the thoughts from my head. There wasn't any point in dwelling on it. Hopefully. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lillie was clutching her bag like her life depended on it.

"Lillie, what's wrong?" I asked.

Lillie glanced at me, then looked back at the ground. "It's...it's nothing. Let's...keep going, I suppose."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Lillie, are you sure? I haven't seen you like this since Mahalo Trail, and even then, you didn't look this scared."

"Well..." Lillie seemed to fumble around for her words. "That man... He did some bad things in Unova purely for the sake of science, right? What if he tried to do something to Nebby? It would be awful!"

I nodded, understanding why she would be nervous. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if he's the type of person to take Pokemon from others, especially if he was affiliated with Team Plasma. Let's get going. The farther away from that guy we are, the better, in my opinion."

"Yes, agreed, but..." Lillie grabbed my arm and tugged me towards a path I didn't notice earlier. "How about we go this way? It certainly looks like a more fun path than that other way."

"Well, I guess so, but I did kinda want to see what that Aether House is. I know Colress was the one who mentioned it, but maybe they're not bad?" I glanced at the stark white building that stood by the edge of a cliff.

Lillie bit her lip. "Oh, the Aether Foundation..." She sent a worried glance towards the building. "It's nothing special. No need to worry about it. Come on, let's go! We should get to the motel early so that we can relax." She began tugging on my arm with renewed urgency. I relented and followed her down the path.

After about an hour's worth of tension in the air, we finally made it to the motel. There were quite a few tourists waiting in the lobby for one reason or another, so Lillie opted to wait outside while I waited in line.

"You're lucky, you know," the person at the desk said as she handed me the keys to a room. "Normally, we don't have any vacancies, even for trial goers. Especially with that one room being rented out nonstop all this time."

"You can do that?" I asked incredulously. "Just rent out a room for a really long time?"

"I don't know why you would want to, but yes," the receptionist replied. "Apparently, the boy staying in that room paid up to two YEARS worth of nights when he first got here. Though, I hear he's not so free with cash now as he used to be..." The lady shook her head. "Seems like Team Skull doesn't pay well enough to live off of."

I quietly gasped. "Team Skull? You've let a member of Team Skull stay here for two years?"

"I questioned that as well when I first got this job, but the boy hasn't caused any trouble, so we have no reason to kick him out, especially since he's already paid. I do feel sorry for the boy, though. Some days, it seems like the kid's been through hell and back."

I thanked the lady and exited, not sure what to make of this new information. Lillie seemed stressed enough as it was. Adding the fact that we were staying in a motel with a Skull grunt ran the risk of frazzling her even more. After a bit of internal debate, I decided it would be best to tell her, especially since she wanted to keep Nebby as safe as possible.

"Ah, there you are," I once I found Lillie. She was sitting on a bench behind the motel, looking out over the ocean.

"Oh, Alani!" Lillie stood up and walked over to me. "Were you able to get us a room?"

"Yeah, though there is one thing you'll probably want to know." Lillie paused and looked at me inquisitively, waiting for me to continue. "Apparently, there's a Skull grunt staying—"

"Here?!" Lillie squeaked. "There's a member of Team Skull staying _here_?"

I held my hands out in an attempt to get my friend to calm down. "Yes, but from what the receptionist told me, this guy's been here for two years, and he hasn't caused any trouble, so we should be fine. Besides, I decided that I'm going to try and finish the trial tomorrow so that we don't have to stay here for too long. Just make sure Nebby stays in your bag when you go out, ok?"

"Well, I suppose you already paid," Lillie reasoned. "But, what about training your team? Surely you don't plan on doing that all tonight?"

"Heh, who needs sleep?" I chuckled. "We'll be fine, no worries. We can just rest before training starts. C'mon, let's go ahead and put our stuff down."

For the rest of the day, Lillie and I lounged about the room. I kept trying to find out a little more about my friend, especially after her reaction to Aether, but her mouth was shut as tight as a Clamperl. The most I got from her was when she let it slip that she had a brother about my age. She completely panicked when the words slipped from her mouth, but I managed to calm her down quickly, telling her that it wasn't a big deal if I knew she had a brother, though truthfully, I was happy to find out even that about her.

Once Lillie went to sleep, I quietly slipped out with my team and started toward the nearby thickets. None of us really wanted to be training this late for a big battle the next day, but for Lillie's sake, we went through with it. Sending out one Pokemon to train at a time, I dashed through the undergrowth, battling every wild Pokemon that jumped out at us.

Things were going well until I ran into a rather solid shadow. With an oof, we both fell to the ground.

"What...was that...?" I muttered as I got up.

"That was me, you idiot. Watch where you're going. It's dark out."

I paused for a second, recognizing the voice from the Battle Royal Dome. I looked up, and lo and behold, Gladion was the one I smacked into. His hood was up, which was probably why I didn't see him.

I took a few steps back in surprise. "Gladion? What—what the hell are _you_ doing here?"

Gladion glared at me and folded his arms. "It's none of your business. If anything, I should be the one asking that question, considering you're the one who knocked me over."

A slightly annoyed scowl started to creep onto my face. "Hey, it's not like I meant to do that! How was I supposed to know emo wannabes ran around here at night?"

Gladion quirked a brow. "You do realize you were the only one running, right?"

"Oh, shut up. You know what I meant."

As I glowered at the boy, a sudden realization came up and hit me in the face with a brick. The receptionist mentioned there was a member of Team Skull here that didn't cause trouble. Gladion was the only member of Team Skull I'd met that didn't seem to cause trouble like every other member. He was the one who rented out a room for two years. He had to be.

"Wait, Gladion," I began, reeling back his attention. "Are...are you the one who's been renting a room at the motel for two years? I don't mean to pry, but—"

"Then don't ask." A cold leer was sent my way, making me flinch back. "Keep your nose out of other people's business. It's easier for everyone that way." With a huff, Gladion started walking back to the motel.

I didn't have a choice but to follow him. While I did heal my team, they were still worn out from training, so there wasn't any point in continuing to go at it. As I walked, it seemed like the driest and crunchiest sticks went out of their way to be on every patch of grass I stepped on.

After a couple minutes, Gladion whirled around. "Why the hell are you following me?"

I grimaced. "I'm...staying the motel, too, you know. There's not really any other path I can take."

"Tch. Of course." Gladion put a hand over his eyes and shook his head.

"Hey, um, can I ask one more thing? It's not too personal, don't worry," I said once we arrived at the Motel. Gladion looked up from the lock on his door, waiting for my question. "It's just...you're part of Team Skull, and yet you don't act anything like the other members. Why are you there if you don't seem to mesh in with everyone?"

"I thought you said it wasn't anything too personal," Gladion sighed, "but, if it'll get you off my back, I don't agree with Team Skull's policies. They barely accept me as a member, if you can recall the two grunts from outside Paniola Ranch. Believe me, I don't want to be a part of this team. I just don't have anywhere else to turn to, and I need to get stronger. Now get out." Gladion shut the door, leaving me alone in the moonlight.

As I opened the door to my room, my thoughts kept buzzing around my head. I honestly though he was just some overly dramatic kid when I first met him, but after running into him time after time, he seemed so much more complicated than just that. Something definitely happened to him, but I had no clue as to what. And then there was the mystery of Lillie's past. I didn't know much about her other than the fact that she had a brother, was seemingly afraid of Aether, and was in possession of a Pokemon I'd never seen even in books.

I sighed as I laid down on my bed. Thinking about these things wouldn't do me any good at the moment. I had to sleep and be ready for the trial. I closed my eyes, willing sleep to take me away from the stresses of the day.

* * *

 **Like I said, trash.**

 **Ushieno is what I named my character in Pokemon White, and Martago is a type of lily, if I recall correctly. It's been awhile since I actually typed this chapter out. If there's a typo that I missed somewhere, feel free to let me know! Until next time, folks!**

* * *

 _Quiet. Is she asleep? She's asleep. Time to go. There's the door. Is the door unlocked? Yes. She must be tired if she forgot. Good fortune on my part. Gotta go now. It's time. Oh, gotta close the door. Can't lock it. Hope they'll be ok._


	23. A Jungle of a Trial

**...Hi.**

 **Wow, it's been awhile since I last updated this. Sorry about that. Not gonna lie, the Ultra games kinda killed my motivation, and then by the time it was kinda back, I was busy beyond belief. Such is the engineering major life, I suppose. This chapter had actually been sitting in my phone for a really long time, I just forgot I hadn't posted it yet lmao. I probably should've gone in and rewritten it a bit, but I really didn't want to. Not yet, anyways. Right now, I just want to get the chapters on my phone done so that I can switch the writing over to the computer. It turns out typing on a keyboard is much nicer than tapping on a screen.**

 **I'll go ahead and cut myself off here, onto the severely-overdue story!**

* * *

 _Chapter 21: A Jungle of a Trial_

"No! Where is she?! Oh my god, what happened to her?"

I woke up to a terrible realization. Creampuff was gone. I didn't understand what had happened. All of my Pokemon were sound asleep in their Pokeballs by the time I had gone to bed. How could one of them be missing?

"Alani, this is terrible, but please calm down. You're not going to be able to do much in this state," Lillie attempted to console me. "Maybe she just wanted a bit of fresh air and is outside the room?"

"I already checked," I replied glumly. "I even asked the people outside if they saw a Rockruff run by. Nothing."

"Oh dear..." Lillie murmured. "Perhaps we could ask the Pokemon Center to put up posters?" She sounded unsure of the idea herself, but I appreciated her trying to help.

"Zzt... Alani, I think I may have information that could be of some use right now." Rotom floated up to me with the dex info for Rockruff on its screen. "A couple days ago, I sent a message to the professor about how Creampuff wazz acting during our time in Wela Volcano Park. Late last night, he got back to me, saying that Rockruff tend to act rebelliouzz and even run away when they are close to evolving. So, there's a good chance that Creampuff izz at that point right now. She should come back to you soon, bzzt!"

I glanced at Rotom's face. "I guess, but... I'm still super worried. What if something happens to her while she's gone? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"Alani, it's not your fault," Lillie said. "Based on what Professor Kukui said, this is something that Rockruff do naturally. You can't take the blame for something like this. Besides, Creampuff is strong. She won't go down without a fight."

"Yeah, you're right." I looked at the time. "Shoot, my trial's supposed to start soon. I'll have to look for her after we're done. I just hope we'll be able to hold our ground with one less team member."

"I'm sure you can do it, Alani. You're such a strong Trainer, after all. I...I believe in you and your Pokemon!" Lillie cheered.

I smiled. "Thanks, Lillie. I'll get going now. See you later!"

* * *

Lush Jungle lived up to its name. Trees reached up to the sky, and the undergrowth was incredibly dense. I could hear the calls of birds from the depths of the jungle, adding to the already wild atmosphere. The air was incredibly humid, and it was nearly impossible to breathe because of it. I felt hot, sticky, and gross moments after setting foot into the jungle. I was ready to blast through this trial and be done with it.

"Ah, Alani? This way! Over here!"

I turned to see Mallow waving her hands, beckoning me to follow her. A huge smile graced her face. She was practically radiating excitement.

"Welcome to the Lush Jungle, the trial site of me, Mallow!" Mallow proudly pointed the ladle she was holding at me. "I knew it the first time I saw you and your team... You've chosen only the finest ingredients! That's why I'm going to make you help me—" Mallow cut herself off and shrugged sheepishly. "Er, no! I mean, that's why you're ready to take on my trial!"

I tilted my head in confusion. "Help you? Help you with what?"

Mallow shook her hands. "Nothing! Never mind that! Anyways, you're the one who got a Sparkling Stone straight from Tapu Koko, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but how did you—"

"Trial Captains and Kahunas talk to each other, even if they're on different islands, you know. Word spreads quickly of rare occurrences like yours. Now, where were we...?" Mallow snapped her fingers. "Right! Even Tapu Koko recognized your strength. You're so totally ready for this!"

Mallow closed her eyes and turned around, taking a deep breath. "Ah, the breath of the jungle... I can tell just what today's specialty should be... Yeah, that's it! It's gotta be! My personal specialty: the Mallow Special!"

I couldn't help but make a weird face at what Mallow named her specialty, but she didn't notice and continued. "I have most of the ingredients here, but I'm gonna need you to find four ingredients for me! I'll need a Mago Berry, a Tiny Mushroom, a Revival Herb, and a Miracle Seed!" Mallow pulled a drawstring bag out of a bag on her waist and handed it to me. "Here you go! I brought you a Forage Bag to hold all of the ingredients you gather for the trial."

"Um, thanks," I said as I took the bag from her. "I was just gonna put the stuff in my bag, but I guess this could help."

"Yep! Sure will!" Mallow flashed a bright smile at me. "After all, the trial ingredients might get mixed up with your stuff if you just plop them in your bag. Anyways, when you're hunting for ingredients, you're gonna want to rely on Stoutland's help. It'll find things you didn't see, after all."

My mind jumped back to Paniola Ranch. "Oh, so _that's_ why you added Stoutland to our Ride Pagers!"

Mallow clapped her hands. "Exactly! I knew you two would make it over here eventually, so I figured I'd register Stoutland then and there. Ok, back to the trial now. There are four things you need to get me in order to clear your trial! A Mago Berry, a Tiny Mushroom, a Revival Herb, and a Miracle Seed! Here in Lush Jungle... It's time for Mallow's trial to begin!"

At Mallow's word, I took off running deeper into the jungle. The further I went, the more I realized what a terrible idea running headlong into the bushes was. There were Bug Pokemon everywhere, I didn't know where to even start looking for the ingredients, and I had no clue how to get back.

"Zzt! Hey, kid, slow down!" Rotom hovered in front of me in alarm. "If you go too far, bzzt, you might not be able to get back, and you'll have to start the trial over!"

"I know, I know! I was just about to turn around." Mentally kicking myself for running headlong into the unknown, I stopped and tried to retrace my path.

As I went, I came across a huge patch of mushrooms. Some of them seemed iridescent, while others looked like the backs of Paras and Parasect.

Rotom floated a little closer to the mushrooms. "I'm thinking that you'll be able to find a Tiny Mushroom over in that area, bzzt! Juzzt be careful of any Pokemon that might pop out! Mushroom-based Pokemon are no joke."

"Yeah, I know." I slowly crept over to the mushrooms, hardly daring to breathe. If there were any dangerous spores in the air, I was done for. Inch by inch, I made it to the smaller mushrooms. Once Rotom confirmed my suspicions, I took hold of one of the Tiny Mushrooms growing underneath a tree and started to make my way back.

Right when I was in the clear, a Pokemon's cry broke the silence. I whirled around to see that one of the glowing mushrooms came to life and was bounding toward me.

"Shit!" I fumbled for one of my Pokeballs and sent out Pueo. With a shake of his feathers, Pueo stood ready to battle this new opponent.

"Bzzt! Looks like that's a Pokemon known as Shiinotic!" Rotom piped up. "Boy, it's a good thing we're here during the day. The lightzzz emitted at night by these Pokemon can confuse travelers and make it nearly impossible for them to find their way home, zzrt!"

I turned back to Rotom after telling Pueo to use Pluck. "What the hell? Why would they set up a trial in an area inhabited by Pokemon that can make people go missing?"

"No clue, bucko, but let'zz focus on the battle for now."

I looked over at Pueo. He was doing a fairly good job at holding off the Shiinotic, but the giant mushroom was slowly gaining on him. I weighed my options. We could stick around to defeat this Pokemon as a training exercise of sorts, but then Pueo would be tired for the battle against the Totem Pokemon. If we ran now, Pueo wouldn't be as tired, though we'd be foregoing the experience from the battle.

In the end, I decided that it would be best to get out of there. "Pueo, let's go! Follow me!" I made a mad dash away from the Shiinotic, Pueo gliding right behind me. The Shiinotic shrieked and I heard the crunching of leaves as it struggled to catch up, spurring me to run even faster. Once I knew for sure that we lost it, I leaned against a tree to catch my breath. Pueo landed next to me, preening his feathers now that the danger had passed.

"You ok there, Alani?" Rotom hovered in front of me, a concerned face appearing on its screen.

"Yeah, just..." I shook my head. "What are these people thinking? First a trial on an active volcano, now a trial in a jungle full of Pokemon that could easily kill people? This just doesn't seem right."

Rotom sat on the thought for a moment. "Hmm, I suppozze you have a point. The trial system hazz been around for countless generations, bzzt, so it probably does need a few updates."

We stood there in silence for a few minutes. The humidity of the jungle was absolutely terrible, but it was rather peaceful. Especially when there wasn't a killer shroom out to get you.

A rustle in the leaves above me had me leaping several feet away from the tree. A small Pokemon came tumbling out of the branches, seemingly dazed. After regaining its bearings, the Pokemon locked eyes with me as if it was looking for a fight. That clearly wasn't the case, though, because, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it disappeared into the thickets.

"Ok...I guess...?" A pink dot caught my eye, and I realized a Mago Berry fell to the ground when the Pokemon did.

"That wazzz a Pokemon known as Fomantis," Rotom explained. "One if their favorite foods are Mago Berries. My guess is that it fell while trying to get that berry and when it saw you looking at it, it decided that the berry wazzzn't worth fighting over, zzrt!"

I shrugged. "Well, the less battling we have to do, the better. I'm still a bit worn out from running from that killer shroom. I can only imagine how worn-out Pueo is." I bent down and retrieved the fallen berry, carefully placing it in the Forage Bag. "Alright, so I have a Mago Berry and a Tiny Mushroom now. The other things I needed were...shoot, I forgot."

"A Revival Herb and a Miracle Seed, bzzt," Rotom filled in. "Just a couple more itemzzz! You've got this!"

With a weary sigh, I started following the nearest path. Each step felt like I was trudging through mud. It was as if the jungle air was draining me of energy. I really didn't want to keep going. Curling up on the ground and taking a nap was sounding more and more like—

"Oh, you might not want that on you." I felt Rotom whack something off the back of my neck, and the air seemed to clear up almost instantly. "Morelull," Rotom explained as he returned to my sight. "Pre-evolution of Shiinotic. It wazzz releasing spores that were making you tired so that it could drain your energy. I'm surprised it attached itself to you. They normally hang out on plants, bzzt!"

"...I really hate this place."

* * *

The rest of the ingredient-gathering had its own twists and turns. The herbs were in patches hidden by super tall grasses and "guarded" by the Fomantis that nearly fell on my head earlier. It was hardly something that could be called a battle—Puppers just had to pop out and blow a few flames its way, and the Pokemon scrambled off. Shortly after getting the herbs, though, the grasses obscured my vision and I ended up tumbling down a hill, getting myself even more lost in the process. If it weren't for Rotom, I would have likely spent the rest of the day trying to find a path back the the entrance of the jungle.

The seed was hidden a little too well. After what felt like hours of searching, I finally remembered to call Stoutland. Once I did that, I was able to figure out that the seed was in a patch of soil that had been buried by a fallen rock. Tauros was the only way to break through and get the seed. The experience was...something else, to say the least. Long story short, I decided then and there that I would stay on my own two feet whenever possible.

With all of the ingredients in the bag, I made my way back to the entrance, pulling buts of plants out of my hair and clothes as I went. Mallow was there with a huge pot and, to my surprise, Lana and Kiawe were with her.

Kiawe was the first to notice me. "Ah, Alani! There you are." He paused as I came into better lighting. "Wow. The jungle showed no mercy on you, huh?"

Lana's eyes widened. "Oh, my. You've been through quite the challenge." She reached into her bag and pulled out a medical kit. "We should probably patch you up before we keep going. I don't think that's the state you want to be battling in."

Mallow grinned once I was mostly cleaned up and covered in bandages. "All right! Now, all that's left of the trial is to lure out the Totem Pokemon! Let me see what you have in your Forage Bag." I tossed the bag to her, and she nodded in approval once she opened it. "Perfect! Just what the recipe calls for! Now we can make the Mallow Special! The aroma of this tasty dish will draw that Totem Pokemon right to us! Let's start cooking!"

With the ingredients I gathered as well as the ones Kiawe and Lana brought, we started to create the Mallow Special. Mallow went through each motion with the confidence of a professional chef. Despite the fact that the rest of us had no clue what we were doing, she was able to direct each of us in such a way that the dish came out the way it was supposed to. At least, given the fact that Mallow seemed proud of it, I assumed it was supposed to be a weird, dark-colored soup that looked like it came out of a sewage pipe. The pungent aroma began wafting through the jungle, overpowering the smell of the plant life.

"There we go! The Mallow Special is ready!" Mallow's smile seemed to stretch across her entire face. "Now all we have to do is wait for the Totem Pokemon to be lured out!"

I sat down on the ground with a bottle of water, still slightly exhausted. "So it's a game of hurry up and wait, huh? How long do you think we'll be here?"

Kiawe stared at something off in the distance. "I don't think we'll have to wait very long. In fact, you should probably get your team ready for a battle right now."

I started to get the feeling that something was watching me. With a growing sense of dread, I slowly looked over my shoulder. A bright pink body had me scrambling to my feet to gain some distance from whatever was behind me. A huge Pokemon towered over me, eyes looking for both food and a fight. The Totem Pokemon was already here.

* * *

 **And that's that! Things are gonna get real for Alani and co. next chapter!**

 **Tbh, I've been thinking about cross-posting this on Ao3 as well. Seems like it's a pretty popular site. I'm still on the fence about it, so let me know what you think!**


	24. Lurantis Appears!

**Hot dang, sorry it took so long for me to get this one out to you guys! I meant to post it a week after the last one, but college went off and kicked my ass directly after posting. That and there was that whole scare with profile being infected by some weird virus. Made me want to move over to Ao3. Might end up doing that eventually anyways.**

 **Tbh I still have yet to really break ground on the next chapter because of how much homework I have. But I'll still try to get it done eventually! I have the outline, it's just a matter of getting the words to work the way I want them to!**

 **I forgot to mention this last chapter, but shoutout to Lord Kirkleton for getting me off my ass by reviewing despite the long hiatus the story was on!**

 **Also, there's a rather important response to a certain guest review at the end of this chapter, which is why this note seems a bit wonky. I'd put it up here, but I want to be able to say exactly what I want to say without feeling the need to keep it short.**

 **::Edit: thank you, person who pointed out Lurantis is just a Grass-type. I forgot to actually check its typing before writing lmao**

* * *

 _Chapter 22: Lurantis Appears!_

The Totem Pokemon let out a ferocious roar that I never expected to hear from a bug. My hands flew to my bag in a frantic search for one of my Pokeballs. I threw the first one my hand managed to find. Mestrix popped out and, instantly understanding what was happening, unleashed a flurry of stars, keeping the Totem Pokemon at bay. Her attack created a brief lull before the Totem's attack, giving me a second to gather my thoughts and begin planning my course of action.

"Hey, Rotom, can you tell me what that Pokemon is?" I asked as we all dodged the leaf onslaught.

"Of course, zzt!" Rotom began scanning the Pokemon in front of me and sorting through the possibilities. "It lookzz like that's—"

"Lurantis!" Mallow cut Rotom off, earning her a small glare from the dex. "It's a Totem Lurantis! Lurantis is a Grass-type, so I hope you brought some Fire or Flying-types with you!"

"Yes, what she said," Rotom sighed in defeat. "Lurantis also evolves from Fomantis, so there'zz a high chance it will call upon some to help it in battle."

I nodded my head. "Right. I'll let Mestrix take a shot first since she's already out, then I'll send out Puppers for the home stretch."

I turned my full attention back to the battle. Sure enough, the Lurantis called several Fomantis already, and they were increasing the sun's intensity with Sunny Day. Mestrix was doing a good job at dodging attacks and fighting back up until Lurantis absorbed some of the light. Before I could even call out and warn her, Lurantis managed to blind-side her with a move that looked like Solar Beam, causing her to crash into a nearby tree.

"Ah, shit. Mestrix!" I ran over to my Pokemon, who was shakily dusting herself off. It looked like she still had the fire of battle in her, but her stance told me otherwise. She was keeping weight off of one of her hind legs. I gave her a berry and told her she did a great job before returning her to her ball.

"Oh, shoot, that's not a good start..." I heard Mallow mumbling somewhere behind me, though I probably wasn't meant to hear her. "Come on, Alani, show me that spice I saw when I first met you! You can do it!" That part, however, I was definitely meant to hear.

"Ok, Puppers, let's go! Burn that Lurantis to a crisp!" I tossed Puppers's Pokeball into the air, sending the fire-breathing fluffball into battle. He landed with a bark and began to spew scorching hot flames at Lurantis and its allies. I grinned as Puppers chased after his opponents. The Sunny Day that had helped them earlier was now being used against them. We all but had this battle in the bag.

And that's when everything turned south again.

"Alani, behind you!" I turned when Kiawe pointed at something coming up on my blind side. I hit the ground, narrowly avoiding being run through by a huge bird Pokemon.

Despite nearly hitting me, I was clearly not its intended target. The bird made a beeline for Puppers, but before it could get close enough to land a hit, a flash came from my bag. Clyde charged with all his might at the new opponent, knocking it out of the air with a mighty kick.

"Rotom, data." It was practically habit at this point: a new Pokemon would appear, I'd ask Rotom what it was, Rotom would tell me what I needed to know to secure victory. It was a more perfect system than I could have imagined.

"Zzt, that's a Pokemon called Toucannon! It'zz the final form of Pikipek. Keep an eye on its beak. If it starts to heat up, bzzt, get out of the way!"

I nodded. Based on what Rotom told me, it sounded like I was facing two tough opponents. While Puppers was at least strong against Lurantis, Clyde had some form of a disadvantage against both of our main opponents. Despite that, I knew I had to have Clyde home in on Toucannon. Puppers needed to be able to attack Lurantis without too many distractions, and Toucannon was certainly a bit of a distraction.

My mind briefly wandered to Creampuff, causing me to wince. She would have been a huge asset against Toucannon, but I couldn't change the past. All I could do at the moment was give it my all in the battle and hope that she'd show up before I finished the trials on Akala.

"Puppers, focus on that Lurantis! Clyde, watch his back!"

At my command, my Pokemon switched tactics. While Puppers ran after Lurantis, Clyde cleared out any Fomantis that tried to get in the way, keeping an eye out for when Toucannon would charge. Despite the overwhelming numbers our opponents had, my Pokemon stuck together and faced them head-on.

As the battle progressed, it became clear that the Pokemon on both sides were starting to become worn out. The thick tangle of the undergrowth wasn't the easiest to move around in, let alone have a battle, and the humidity was making it hard to breathe. The only one who wasn't affected by both of these factors was Toucannon, who was steadily whittling away at my Pokemon.

My eyes flickered between the Pokemon as I tried to come up with a new plan. I wanted to use Inferno Overdrive, but that would likely burn down the entire jungle. Sending out another Pokemon wasn't an option either. Mestrix was already knocked out, Pueo was likely still worn out from the battle earlier, and Creampuff was completely out of the question. That left me with...

"Yeeearrrgh!" I shouted as I threw myself at Toucannon. Maybe it was just the heat and exhaustion getting to me, but it was the best plan I could come up with in the spur of the moment. I wrapped my arms around the Pokemon's wings as best I could, causing it to shriek as it tried to buck me off. Puppers and Clyde looked at me in shock, but after seeing what I was doing, redoubled their efforts to take down Lurantis.

"Alani, are you insane?" Kiawe's voice was full of shock and perhaps a touch of concern. I couldn't really blame him; after all, I doubt most trial-goers, or even Trainers in general, would willingly tackle a wild Pokemon in the middle of a battle.

"I've never seen anyone do that before..." Lana murmured.

"Oh, shove off, you two, this is getting good." I could practically see Mallow's face as she chided the two other Captains before turning back to the battle. "Wooo! Go, Alani! Get that Toucannon!"

I wanted to acknowledge Kiawe and Lana's concerns, but keeping Toucannon at bay was much harder than I thought it would be. If I got too distracted, there was a chance my already weak grip would loosen and the Pokemon would break free, and I couldn't afford to let that happen.

With one less tough opponent to worry about, Puppers and Clyde finally began to gain the upper hand in the battle. Working in joint with one another, they put Lurantis under a constant barrage of attacks. Lurantis screech as its attacks became more frantic, but soon enough, it collapsed from its injuries.

The timing couldn't have been better. Just as Lurantis hit the ground, Toucannon broke out of my arms and charged at my Pokemon before they could take a moment to revel in their victory. With wide eyes, they jumped out of the way and attacked while Toucannon was still turning around, grounding the bird and ending the battle for real.

"Alani!" I looked over my shoulder to see Mallow waving as she and the other Trial Captains ran over to me. "That. Was. AMAZING! I know that trials are to help Trainer and Pokemon work in sync, but I've never seen anyone take it so literally! I knew I saw some sort of spice in you and your team the moment I laid eyes on you."

"She's definitely something else," Kiawe grinned. "She took down my Totem Pokemon with relatively few difficulties."

"Mine as well," Lana chimed in. "I don't think I've seen anyone as in-sync with their team as Alani seems to be."

I could feel my face flush at their praise. "Ah, geez, I don't think what I did was /that/ amazing. All I did was clear the trial."

Mallow shook her head. "Yeah, but do you have any idea how many Trainers come through who don't have a deep connection to their Pokemon? There's so many of them that use them like tools or only travel to add 'exotic' things to their collection. It's almost depressing, to be honest. Makes you wonder how they treat other people if that's how they treat their 'close' companions."

"Mallow, um, you're getting a bit distracted. We should probably wrap this up so that you can get ready for the next trial-goer." Lana shifted and nodded over to the jungle's exit. "Kiawe and I passed him on our way here and he was already bouncing in anticipation."

"Eh, another challenger already?!" A look of shock crossed Mallow's face. "Dang, I need to get on healing up Lurantis. But before I forget," she said as she began rummaging through a small bag on her hip, "this is for you, Alani. A Grassinium Z to commemorate your victory here today! It's perfect for you, especially with that Dartrix you have."

Mallow proudly procured a green Z-Crystal from her bag and held it out to me. The moment my fingers brushed against the crystal, I could feel the energy of an entire forest emanating from it.

Mallow clapped her hands once the Z-Crystal was firmly in my grasp. "Ok, so to use that Z-Crystal, you gotta move like this." She performed the generic start for all Z-Crystals, then moved in a way that reminded me of a flower growing and bursting into bloom. "Oh, before we all get going, do you guys want to try some of the Mallow Special? I promise you, it's one of the best stews out there!"

Before any of us could answer, Mallow pulled out a few bowls and began pouring some of the stew into them. Not wanting to disappoint her, I took one of the bowls. The strong aroma hit me again and I had to resist the urge to drop it on the spot.

"The food you make is always so good, Mallow," Lana said with a smile as she accepted a bowl. "I'm looking forward to this!"

"As am I," Kiawe agreed. "Let's see what cooking miracle you've whipped up this time!"

The two of them started eating heartily but very quickly came to a stop. Not wanting to jump in before I knew what would happen, I waited to see what their reaction would be.

"You can really taste the Rare Bone in this..." Lana commented.

An uncomfortable look crossed Kiawe's face. "It tastes good, but...it's so..."

"S-SPICY!"

The two of them dropped their bowls in unison and ran off.

"Hey, what? Come on!" Mallow stamped her foot in frustration. "Don't you guys have any taste?" She ran off fuming after the others, seemingly forgetting about both me and Lurantis.

"Woo, Alani! Over here!" I turned to see Kukui make his way out of the undergrowth. "Woo! What's that sweet smell driftin' my way? Is that a tasty Mallow Special you've got there?"

I looked at the untouched stew in my hands. After the spectacle I just witnessed, I wasn't so sure if I wanted to try it. "Um, yeah. I don't really want it, though, so you can have it if you want."

"Oh yeah! Thanks, cousin!" Kukui happily accepted the stew and dug in, appearing to be immune to the spice that sent two trial captains packing. "So, looks you cleared Mallow's trial, yeah? That means you've cleared all the trials on Akala!You're on a roll! Tell you what, before you take on the grand trial, how about you stop by the the Dimensional Research Lab back in Heahea City? I want you to go check it out while you're on your island challenge. Lillie's already there, yeah, so you don't need to worry about checking out of the motel. I'm sure it'll be a bright spot on your journey, oh yeah!"

I nodded. "I'll be sure to do that. But, while you're still here, do you think you could help me find Creampuff? She disappeared last night and I'm really worried about her." The adrenaline from the battle had worn off, allowing me to remember the situation with my lost partner. "Rotom told me about the evolution thing, but I don't want to lose her."

Kukui shook his head. "I admire your dedication to your Pokemon, cousin, but this is one thing neither of us will be able to do anything about. Rockruff like to secret themselves away prior to evolving, yeah, and they're well-known for finding out-of-the-way places where no one would even think of looking." He smiled in sympathy and put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry too much, though, Creampuff will show up when she's ready to. Returning to their trainers after evolving is one thing you can always count on the Rockruff species to do, oh yeah!"

A muffled cry caught our ears. Lurantis had crawled its way over to the Mallow Special and was feebly drinking the stew. I winced as I looked at it. Mallow had run off after Kiawe and Lana without using a potion of any sort on its wounds. The pink bug must have regained consciousness while I was talking with Kukui.

"Woo, looks like you did quite the number on the big guy," Kukui whistled. "Tell you what, you run on ahead to the lab, yeah, and I'll catch up once I've helped Lurantis get back on its feet, oh yeah!"

"Sounds good, Kukui. I guess I'll see you again there." I turned and started towards the jungle's exit, leaving Kukui to tend to Lurantis's wounds.

Upon leaving the thick foliage, my eyes locked onto a pair of bright yellow shorts. I smiled. Of course Hau wouldn't be able to wait at the Pokemon Center for his shot at the trial.

I called out to my friend. "Hey, Hau! Haven't seen you in a while! How's it going?"

Hau looked over at me and cracked a toothy grin. "Alani! I figured you were the one who got here before me. Better watch out, you may have gotten a head start on the trials, but I'm still hot on your heels! I'll catch up to you in no time!"

"Well, until Mallow remembers she has another challenger, I think your streak is gonna be put on pause," I laughed. "She chased after Kiawe and Lana after they said her food was too spicy."

"Yeah, I think I caught the tail end of that." Hau let out his own snicker. "Poor Lana and Kiawe. Whatever it is Mallow gave them must have been really spicy. But, why were they here in the first place?"

Before I could answer, a flash of green streaked by us, screaming something about Lurantis. It was Mallow, who finally remembered the Totem Pokemon she had left behind.

"Well, looks like you'll be able to take on the trial soon," I said. "I'll leave you to it then. Good luck, and be wary of the mushrooms!"

Hau looked slightly puzzled about my mushroom comment, but he shook it off. "All right, I'll keep that in mind. See you later, Alani!" He rushed into the jungle after Mallow, allowing me to finally make my way back to Heahea City.

* * *

 **How do apostrophes work? The world may never know.**

 **Ok, so that guest review I mentioned earlier. Yes, hun, I am WELL aware of how poorly written Alani's reaction to losing was. That was written back when I wasn't all that hot at writing (not that I am now). Believe me, I want to go back and rewrite everything so badly, but I just don't have the time to do that. I barely have time to do anything not related to college, hence why I rarely get to post new chapters for either of my stories here. On top of that, the final statement on how you would "expect it from an 8-year-old girl, not even a boy" is INCREDIBLY sexist.** **You need to learn how to be more polite about your critiques/reviews. They're supposed to help the writer learn how to improve, not attempt to beat them into the ground. This is just my opinion on this, but if you can't find a way to say something in a kinder way, don't say it at all.**


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